Game Of Love
by Tibbsgirl
Summary: Diana and Akko lead very different lives while attending Luna Nova University. One is the school prodigy, and one is a prodigy on the hockey field. An uncharacteristically bad day leads to a meeting that would change both of their lives forever. (Alternate Universe/No Magic) COVER ART DRAWN BY SMOLMUNDO!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _Diana has a bad day..._

' _Knock knock knock'_

"Diana?"

Rays of sun shown through the window above Diana's bed, filling her eyes with unpleasant light as her eyes fluttered open. Sounds of bird's morning chirping filled her ears until another sound came from her bedroom door.

' _Knock knock'_

"Diana are you still asleep?"

The door opened slowly and Hannah hesitantly poked her head in. Diana turned over and sat up rubbing her eyes before realizing that it was indeed a little too bright in her room. What day was it? It wasn't the weekend already. What time was it?

"Diana? You're going to be late for your morning class!" Hannah said, hurriedly.

She glanced at the clock beside her bed on the small table, her eyes widened in shock. Dread came over Diana as she tried and failed to untangle herself from the blankets she'd been sleeping under just minutes earlier. She rolled a little too far and ended up on the floor in a heap. Hannah watched from the doorway, horrified, as she had never seen such an undignified display from the heiress. Diana was finally able to pull the blankets off of her and stand up straight.

"Ahem." Diana cleared her throat and ran her fingers through her wild hair, trying to calm herself and save what little dignity she had left in front of her friend and roommate. "Hannah, thank you for waking me. If you would kindly step out, I need to get ready."

Hannah nodded and backed out slowly, closing the door as she went. The click of the door rung out in the silent room. Diana turned quickly to her bedside table and noticed that she had forgotten to set an alarm on her clock, which never happens. She also had an alarm set on her phone for such an occasion as this, but her phone was not on the table. Where did she leave her phone?

"No time for this. I can't be late." She mumbled to her self as she quickly walked to her closet.

She got ready in record time and grabbed her bag by her door. She switched out yesterday's books with books she would be needing today, that's when she found her phone in the pocket. The battery was dead.

"Of course it is." She whispered and sighed before she threw her charging cord into her bag.

Hannah and Barbara where in the kitchen drinking tea and eating breakfast when Diana walked quickly past the table towards the door, grabbing an apple on her way out.

"Goodbye, girls." She said, waving without looking back.

"Have a good day Diana!" Barbara and Hannah shouted at the same time before the door slammed.

The two girls look at each other with worried expressions. They have been worried about Diana as of late because of the heavy workload that was being thrust upon her. They had barely seen their roommate in the past couple weeks due to her either being in class or at the library until late at night. With finals coming up and research papers being due, Diana hasn't been sleeping enough or eating enough, at least that's what they suspected. It was catching up to her but she would always brush it off when Hannah or Barbara would confront her about it. The girls knew she was stubborn and nothing would deter her from her studies. All they can do is support her and help out however they can.

It's a short drive to campus thankfully, and parking was not an issue this early in the morning. So Diana made it to her class with a few minutes to spare. Now that she could sit and relax for the first time since waking up, she noticed just how tired she was. And hungry. She didn't realize until now that she had skipped dinner last night, again. This semester has been the hardest on her since beginning classes at Luna Nova University. Being the prodigy that she was, and living up to the reputation of her family name, was exhausting. And she was more than ready for the summer break that was coming up. But for now, she would suck it up and get through this class.

On the very edge of campus was the sport complex. Various buildings and fields spanning a few blocks were home to the prestigious sports teams and clubs of Luna Nova. The university had a proud and storied reputation for having some of the best student athletes in Europe and many league championships in various sports to prove it. One of the most prestigious clubs in recent history has been the women's field hockey team. After landing three highly recruited athletes, it was no surprise that the Europe Collegiate League Championship was easily won. The team would now move on to playing matches against the best teams in the world in a summer tournament. This was why, on this cold and windy morning, Luna Nova's women's hockey team was running sprints on the green field on the edge of campus before their classes later that day.

"Akko, I think that's enough running!" Amanda was breathing heavily with her hands behind her head. "You're going to kill us!"

Akko stopped halfway through her next sprint and looked at Amanda curiously, and then looked around the field. There were bodies of her teammates laying on the ground, and many others bending over trying to force air into their lungs. Akko was easily the most physically fit on the team, and sometimes she forgets that not everyone has as much energy to burn as she does. It can get a little out of hand at times as she is the team captain, and is in charge of their workouts outside of official practice sessions.

"Oh, hehe." Akko rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Sorry. Let's circle up and do our stretches, and then we can head out."

Instead of 'circling up', the girls just fell to the ground where they were, groaning and mumbling curses under their breath.

"Or...I guess that works." Akko said hesitantly.

After leading the team through stretches, all the girls went their separate ways, except for Amanda and Jasminka, who gathered their things and joined Akko by the bleachers where she was putting on her jacket.

"Oh captain, my captain. Went a little overboard this morning, ya think?" Amanda said annoyed.

"Yeah, that was not fun at all." Jasminka stated with a frown, pulling out a bag of potato chips from her backpack.

"I'm sorry you guys." Akko looks at her feet guiltily. "I'm just so pumped for worlds coming up! I want everyone to be in the best shape possible!" She pumps her fist into the air.

"Yeah well, maybe you should spend more time on your studies than trying to kill us all with sprints. If you don't pass, you won't be playing in worlds this summer." Amanda says as she starts to walk off the field.

"Ugh, don't remind me" Akko grumbles as she follows the other two. "But first...food. I'm hungry. Let's hit up the cafeteria?" She asks pleadingly.

"I'm down" Amanda nods.

"I'm always up for food" Jasminka smiles wide.

The cafeteria is in the middle of campus. It's a large building with a variety of little shops all around with many tables and booths in the middle. The roof was made of glass to let as much natural light in as possible, but with morning being overcast and gloomy, the cafeteria was only dimly lit. This early in the morning, only the coffee shop and other shops serving breakfast are open.

Amanda and Jasminka got in line at their favorite shop that sold little breakfast sandwiches, and Akko stood in the longest line, which was at the coffee shop. She only had to look at the menu on the wall briefly to figure out what she wanted. She had been here enough times that she had most of the menu memorized anyway. They sold the best pastries she had ever tasted. And the coffee wasn't bad either.

Looking away from the menu, her eyes landed on the person in front of her. The first thing that captured her attention was her hair. It was long and styled perfectly, but the color, blond with tea green highlights. It was so unique, so beautiful. Akko had to use all of her will power to not reach out and feel this stranger's hair. It was probably so soft. She shook her head and leaned to the side to see how many people were still in line, only three more. Bouncing on her heels, Akko's eyes landed on the woman in front of her again. Now noticing the clothes she was wearing, beneath that beautiful hair was an expensive looking brown leather jacket. On her feet were expensive looking brown leather knee high boots, covering the bottom half of very nice blue jeans. Very tight fitting blue jeans. This woman had very nice legs and…

'Oh my god! Stop staring!' Akko internally yelled at herself as her eyes shot up to look at the ceiling.

"Akko! How's my favorite customer?"

The voice made Akko jump slightly as her attention snapped down to the man at the counter.

"Hey Aaron! I'm doing well." She said with a wide smile.

"Good good. The usual, eh?" He said with a smirk.

"Of course. The usual."

Aaron turned around to prepare Akko's coffee as she turned to walk to the register. She stopped when she saw the woman who was in front of her still standing there rummaging through her bag mumbling something incomprehensible under her breath. After a few seconds she stopped and sighed heavily.

"Excuse me," she said to get Aaron's attention. He walked back over to the register. "I seem to have left my wallet at home. I sincerely apologize, I can't pay for this." She pushes her coffee and bagel back toward the other side of the counter.

Aaron raises his brow at her and nods. Diana's face is flushed with embarrassment. 'Could this day get any worse?!' She thinks to herself. She turns to leave.

"I can pay for it."

Diana stops in her tracks. She slowly turns around and for the first time she notices the girl who obviously saw the whole exchange. An Asian girl, slightly shorter than herself, brown flowing hair, half put up in a ponytail. She was wearing a plain white tank top with a red and white sports jacket over top with the letters LN just under the left shoulder. But most noticeable were her very _very_ short red athletic shorts with the letters LN with two hockey sticks crossing behind them. And her legs….

"Umm..." Akko shuffles awkwardly when the woman doesn't respond. 'Is she...staring at my legs?!'

Diana is suddenly pulled back to reality. She was caught staring. Of course she was. Embarrassment seems to be the theme today. She feels a blush creeping up her neck when she looks at the brown haired girl smiling at her with a raised eyebrow. Her beautiful crimson eyes left her speechless for a moment.

"Add it to my my bill Aaron." Akko says, not wanting to hold the line up anymore.

"I couldn't possibly ask you to..." Diana starts to say, waving her arms in front of her.

"Too late." Akko says happily as she shoves Diana's coffee and bagel into her hands.

After receiving her change and picking up her coffee and pastry, Akko smiles at Diana and starts to walk away.

"Wait!" Diana almost shouts. She reaches out but realizes she doesn't have a free hand.

Akko freezes mid step. She turns around to look at the woman. Her bright blue eyes were wide and her lips were slightly parted, like she wasn't sure what to say next. Then suddenly her posture was ridged and her expression was neutral. Akko was surprised at how fast it happened. But no traces of the flustered woman were there anymore.

"I appreciate your generosity. I've had a rough morning. I intend to repay you miss..." Diana gestures to Akko.

"Oh, Kagari. Atsuko Kagari. You can just call me Akko." She says smiling proudly.

"Pleasure to meet you. I intend to repay you, Miss Kagari..."

"Just Akko, please." Akko cuts her off. "And you are?"

Diana hesitates. She hates introducing herself to others. She liked being praised and admired at first, but it got old very quickly. Her reputation and family name drew people to her for all the wrong reasons. Mostly to take advantage of her. But she is not dumb, nor a fool. She can very easily sort out people's intentions with her. This is why she has so few who she can call true friends.

"Diana Cavendish."

"Well Diana, don't worry about paying me back. Glad I could help. See you around?" Akko asks expectantly.

"Yes, of course." Diana nods stoically.

Akko smiles warmly at her as she turns around and walks away. Diana is frozen there watching her as she weaves through the tables in the middle of the room. Those shorts…they should be illegal. She watches until she sits down at a table with five other girls. That's when she notices a certain fiery red haired girl smirking at her from said table. An unpleasantly familiar face. The Amanda O'Neil.

"Damn it. No no no." She groans as she immediately turns and walks out of the doors to the parking lot as quickly as possible.

She eats her bagel and throws the wrapper away before her black BMW comes into view. She opens the door, quickly gets in and closes the door before slowly letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. After placing her coffee in the drink holder, she leans her head against the steering wheel and closes her eyes. What a mess today is. Breathing deeply, she tries to calm herself. But all she could seem to think about was mesmerizing crimson eyes. And that bright smile. And those legs.

"Noooooo. Stop it! Stop it stop it!" She chastised herself while straightening up and covering her face with her hands. "I don't have time for this nonsense."

Thinking for a moment, she decided she needed a distraction before her next class. And by distraction, she means going to the library and studying. Throwing herself at her school work had always been the answer to her problems. It was a little too effective at times, considering her lack of a social life. But at the moment, it didn't matter. School was her main priority. She wouldn't let a cute girl with beautiful eyes and an amazing smile get in her way. No matter how great her legs look in those shorts. Now her mind was just playing games with her. With a determined nod, she stepped back out of her car and started walking to the library, which was only a few minutes away.

"So, Akko, what's going on with you and Cavendish?" Amanda smirks at Akko after she sits down at the table with her coffee and pastry. She waves at her friends, Lotte and Sucy, who joined them for breakfast, before replying.

"Eh? You know her?" Akko raises her eyebrows at the red haired girl.

"Akko, you don't know who Diana Cavendish is?" Lotte asks, surprised.

"She's kind of a big deal, you know." Sucy says in her usual uninterested tone.

"Don't you read the school newsletters?" Asked Jasminka before taking a bite of her food.

"Oh come on guuuys..." Akko whines. "You know I don't have time for that. What's so special about her then?" She folds her arms and pushes her bottom lip out in a pout. "Besides being super hot." She thought that last part was just in her head.

Shocked looks are what welcomed her when she looked up. Even Sucy who normally looked like she couldn't care less about anything widened her one visible eye ever so slightly. Lotte held her hands to her chest and smiled. Jasminka was frozen in awe, mid bite. Constanze, the resident engineer of the group, raised one eyebrow. Even Amanda, the usually loud and teasing girl, was frozen in shock. At least only for a moment.

"Heh...heh. Did I say that out loud?" Akko says sheepishly, a blush now almost matching the color of her eyes.

"Ahahahaha….damn Akko" Amanda says, almost falling out of her chair. "I never would've guessed."

"Yeah Akko, I didn't know you swung that way." Sucy says with an evil grin.

"Swung….wha...n-no...I-I.." Akko was unable to complete a full sentence. She waved her hands in front of her, trying desperately to defuse the situation. But the only effect it had was more laughter from her friends.

"It's okay to like girls, Akko." Lotte says with a reassuring smile.

"T-that's not...um...I-I...d-don't..." Akko sighs and finally just shrugged her shoulders. "Well shit."

Another round of laughter ensues, while Lotte softly pats Akko on the back.

'I thought you were dating Andrew?' Constanze held up her notebook for her to read.

"ANDREW?!" Akko shouts. The whole cafeteria went silent, looking her way. "Ahem. Andrew?" She whispers. "Andrew is just a good friend. Definitely not dating."

"Does he know that?" Sucy says snickering.

"Of course he knows that! Ugh." Akko throws her hands up in frustration.

"Okay, okay. So you're not dating Hanbridge." Amanda leans in close. "But Diana Cavendish? You sure do shoot for the stars don't ya? Ahaha!" She laughs out loud again, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Look, first of all, I'm not shooting for anything. I helped her out, and I'm probably never going to see her again. Second of all, I can appreciate good looks when I see them. Stop being weird about it." Akko stands and gathers her wrapper and empty cup. "And thirdly, I have class. Peace out." She walks away quickly, hearing laughter once again behind her. "I swear, that's not how I pictured coming out to my friends. I guess it could have been worse." She mumbles as she puts her things in the trash and heads out the door.

Walking into her class ten minutes early, she found Andrew sitting in his usual chair and she dropped down heavily in the chair next to him with a dramatic sigh.

"Good morning, Miss Kagari." He said with a smirk.

"Not today Andrew." She said as she put her forehead on the table in front of her.

Andrew chuckled. He always enjoyed the antics of this girl. It was a pleasant distraction from the monotony of his schedule.

"Andrew, who is Diana Cavendish?" She asked, not looking up.

This simple question surprised Andrew. His childhood acquaintance had made quite a name for herself, he was always surprised when anyone didn't know of her. Especially here at Luna Nova.

"Why do you ask?"

When he didn't receive an answer, he looked over and noticed the blush creeping up her neck, assuming her covered face was the same color, he decided to answer.

"Well what would you like to know?" He waited a moment before continuing. "Most would call her a genius. A prodigy. She was the youngest ever to be accepted into Luna Nova University at the age of 16. And the youngest to be accepted into Luna Nova's graduate program just this past year, at the age of 18. Well, to be more specific, Luna Nova's School of Medicine. She is the heiress to all six of the Cavendish hospitals throughout Europe. Anything else you would like to know?"

When Andrew was left with silence again, he looked over at his friend. Akko was looking at him now with wide eyes and mouth open. Andrew chuckled again as he turned toward the front of the room where their professor was gathering his papers, ready to start the class.

"Is she single?" Akko whispered.

Andrew jerked his head to the side, eyebrows raised almost high enough to touch his hairline. He was expecting a joking expression but he found no humor on her face. A smile crept into his features.

"I have no doubt."

Akko smiled excitedly at him and prepared her notebook before the class started.

The rest of the day was free of embarrassing incidents for Diana. She finished her classes, finished one of her research papers in the library, and decided to give her self the night off. She parked her BMW in the parking garage of her apartment building and rode the elevator up to the top floor where the more luxurious apartments were. Being a Cavendish had it's perks, one of those being that money was never an issue. And her roommates family's were both wealthy as well, coming from noble lineage. So they could afford the most expensive apartment close to campus. Although Diana never tried to flaunt her wealth, a girl had needs and old habits die hard.

She walked into her apartment and was greeted by Hannah and Barbara at the kitchen table huddled in front of a laptop.

"Diana!" Hannah says, surprised.

"We weren't expecting you to be home for dinner!" Barbara says, excitedly. "We were going to order in tonight and watch some movies. Would you like to join us?"

Diana thought about it for a moment. This could be a nice distraction from the day she has had. She did tell herself she was going to give herself a break after all.

"Yes. That sounds fun, ladies." She says with a small smile.

The two girls in front of her looked stunned, eyes wide and mouths agape.

"Really?" Hannah asks breathlessly.

"I have decided to take your advice to heart. If today has been any indication, I am in need of a break from my studies. I think a night in with my closest friends is just what I need." It pains Diana to admit something like that. "I'm going to put my things away and change. Do let me know when dinner arrives, will you?" She walks past the table and into the hallway.

"Sure thing, Diana!" Barbara yells behind her.

As she opens her bedroom door she hears two distinctive squeals of joy behind her. Her lips curl into a small genuine smile. Those girls could be a little much sometimes, but she didn't know what she would do without their antics. They were truly like sisters that she never had. A constant in her chaotic life. She dropped her bag by her door and walked into her closet to pick out some more comfortable clothes for the long night ahead.

After changing and pulling up her hair with a hair tie, she noticed something on her desk along with the books she took out of her bag that morning. Her wallet was sitting there in plain sight. With a sigh, she sat down on the chair in front of her desk and stared at the offending object. Crimson eyes flashed into her thoughts. Those beautiful, kind crimson eyes. And red shorts. Hockey sticks. She suddenly had an idea and turned to her laptop. After switching it on and waiting for it to load, she searched the university's website. More specifically, the official page for Luna Nova's women's hockey team. And there she was on the home page, the captain of the most recent league champions. In the picture, she is running toward the camera, arms out to her side with a hockey stick held in her right hand. She looked like she had just scored a goal, the smile on her face shone brighter than the sun. Diana smiled at the display of celebration in the photo and bit her bottom lip. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees when she clicked on the roster.

"Atsuko Kagari. Captain." She whispered as she clicked on her picture.

Diana was impressed at her biography. So many accomplishments before coming to Luna Nova. She must have been as dedicated to the sport as Diana was to her studies. She didn't know enough about the sport to be interested in all the stats, but she was definitely interested in the photos. Her uniforms suited her in the best way. The tight tank tops and the short skirts showed off her amazing physique. Toned, but feminine. Anyone could tell that she took good care of her body. She was….so cute. 'Cute?! What is happening to me?! Am I really attracted to this girl?' Soon she lost herself staring at those eyes. And she didn't even hear two girls walking into her room and stopping behind her.

"Uh, Diana? Why are you looking at pictures of Atsuko Kagari?" Hannah said in a suspicious tone.

Diana jumped so high, her chair nearly fell backward onto the floor. She stood up and turned around to face the girls while blocking the computer from their view. She wasn't accomplishing much since they had already seen what she was looking at.

"Hmm?" Was all she could get out of her mouth at the moment. She was standing very awkwardly, not knowing what to do with her hands.

"Who's Atsuko Kagari?" Barbara looks at the both of them, confused.

"She's that brat I keep telling you about. The one from my musical theory class." Hannah says, looking disgusted.

"Oh, right. The one who's always falling asleep." Barbara nods as she pushes Diana to the side to get a better look at the photos.

"Girls….I w-was simply..." Diana starts.

"I just don't know what Andrew sees in a girl like _that!_ " Hannah makes a gesture toward the computer.

"Andrew?" Diana asks, eyes narrowed. "Andrew Hanbridge?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Hannah sighs.

"A-are they dating...or..?" Diana trails off.

Barbara notices the disappointment and hesitation in Diana's voice and turns to look at her with her eyebrows raised. Diana glances at her nervously and then back to Hannah. Luckily Hannah is oblivious and continues her explanation.

"I don't know for sure, but it is quite obvious that he likes her. Anyone can see it. She's always giggling and what I can only assume is flirting with him. When she isn't asleep of course." Hannah rolls her eyes and crosses her arms before letting out a long sigh. "He smiles at her like I've never seen him smile before."

"I...see." Diana says curtly.

"So you don't know for sure..." Barbara says turning to her friend. Hannah just shakes her head. "Well, she is cute, I must admit." She winks discretely at Diana.

Diana's breath hitches and her eyes grow wide for a split second. She knows.

"What?! Barbara!" Hannah says, horrified.

"Oh come on Hannah, you have to admit that she's cute." Barbara states as she grabs Hannah by the wrist to lead her out of the room.

"W-well...I mean...she's okay...I guess.." Hannah stutters as she's being dragged.

"Dinner is here by the way." Barbara yells to Diana as they leave the room.

Diana is frozen in place. 'What in the hell just happened?' is all she can think. Barbara saw right through her. She had never told anyone about her sexual orientation. She'd never had the need to because she had never felt like this before. She'd never been affected by someone enough to research them online before either. She picked up a pillow and screamed into it. She was frustrated with this whole day and she couldn't wait for it to be over. After throwing her pillow back onto her bed, she took a few deep breaths before reluctantly walking out her door to join her friends for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _Part 1: A Celebration...Why?_

Friday morning arrived. Amanda loved Friday mornings because there was no early morning workouts led by one, Atsuko Kagari. She loved the girl to death but that didn't stop her from wanting to strangle the energetic girl most mornings on the hockey field. She was a good leader, just a little...too enthusiastic...to put it nicely. But on Friday mornings, she could sleep in and waste the morning away with her coffee in front of their large television. Which her and four of her roommates were doing at the moment. They shared an average size house just off of campus. Although it got a little tight with 6 people living there, it was better than living in the dorms. Akko and Amanda each got their own rooms while the others shared the remaining two rooms. None of them minded the arrangement. Since it was Akko and Amanda who found the house, and Amanda's grandmother pays half of the rent each month.

"Hey, has anyone seen Akko this morning?" Amanda asks the others, sipping her coffee.

"No." Sucy says flatly, reading her book. "She's probably still asleep. It sounded like she was having quite the dream when I woke up."

"Sucy!" Lotte scowls at her.

"Wait wait wait…." Amanda leaned toward where Sucy was sitting. "Dream? And what kind of dream would you say it was?" She says with a wolfish grin.

Sucy looks up from her book, about to say something before noticing the death stare coming from Lotte. So she just shrugs and goes back to reading her book.

"Oh come oooon!" Amanda whines. "You can't just say that and..."

"Guys! Guys guys guys!" Akko barrels into the room making everyone jump. "Guys! I got an A! I GOT AN AAAAAA!" She jumps up with her hands held high.

"You got an A on what?" Sucy deadpans.

"My musical theory paper!" Akko says excitedly, looking around.

"Akko, I'm so proud of you!" Lotte claps her hands together.

"Didn't Hanbridge practically do that paper for you?" Sucy says, looking back down at her book.

"Noooo. He just helped….a little." Akko says sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Good enough for me. Sounds like a celebration is in order!" Amanda stands and pats Akko on the back. "I say we go to Luckys tonight and dance the night away."

"Luckys it is!" Akko says with an ear to ear smile.

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the room before a loud grumble came from Akko's stomach.

"But first….food!" Akko turns and leaves toward the kitchen.

'Where does she put it all?' Constanze holds up a notebook to Amanda.

Amanda just shrugs and sits back down to enjoy the rest of her Friday morning before her classes start.

Diana finished her second and last class of the day. Friday was the easiest day for her in terms of classes, but she usually made up for it by spending countless hours in the library afterwords. She made it back to her car and connected her phone via Bluetooth to listen to some music. She sat there for a moment browsing her music library.

' _Tap tap tap'_

The sound on her window made her jump a little more than it probably should have. She slowly turned her head towards the source of the noise.

"Hey hey, Cavendish!"

Diana stared at the smirking red haired girl waving at her.

"Can you roll your window down?" Amanda yelled, pointing downward.

The blonde just stared for another moment and then turning away, she pushed the button to roll down her window.

"Miss O'Neil. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Amanda chuckles.

"As proper as ever, I see. How ya been, princess?" Amanda leans over and puts her elbows on the door.

"You know very well how I despise that name." Diana scowls at her.

"Well I despise being called ' _Miss O'Neil'._ " Amanda tries to imitate Diana's British accent.

Diana pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. This girl always had the ability to bring on a headache in record time.

"Very well, Amanda. Was there a reason you wanted to talk to me?" Diana says, trying to hurry this conversation along.

"Ah...yes. Other than wanting to catch up with an old friend, can you...um...give me a ride?" Amanda grimaces, clearly not comfortable with asking for a favor.

"You don't have a vehicle?"

"Look, I do. But I rode with Jasminka this morning and my last class got canceled. Sucy has a car but she's in class for another hour. And Akko, well Akko's a freak of nature and rides her bike EVERYWHERE. All my roommates are busy. And I need your help. So please...pretty please can you give me a ride home?"

Amanda spoke so quickly that Diana missed most of what she said. But she heard that name. The name of the girl that has been dominating her thoughts this past week. She shook her head slightly and looked back at Amanda's pleading face. The girl had true puppy eyes and pushed her bottom lip out for good measure. Diana sighs in defeat.

"Get in."

"Whoo!" Amanda shouts loudly, making Diana grimace at the sheer volume.

Amanda runs around the front of the car to the other side. She opens up the back door to throws her stuff inside before closing it and climbing into the passenger seat. After buckling in, see looks around as Diana backs out of her parking spot.

"Damn, Cavendish. Nice ride!" Amanda smiles at her.

"Thank you." Diana says, rolling her eyes.

After Amanda gives her general directions to the house, the car falls silent for a few minutes. The music from Diana's phone played softly in the background. The blonde was the first to break the silence.

"So how have you been Amanda? It was quite a shock to see you earlier this week. I had no idea you were attending Luna Nova."

"Oh I'm just living the dream, Diana." Amanda chuckles. "I'm surprised my grandmother hadn't mentioned me coming here. She was so excited when I told her I was going to be playing hockey here." She says with a fond smile. "Of course, I'm also surprised it took so long before our paths crossed."

"Yes, that is rather surprising." Diana nodded her head.

"So, how have you been Diana?"

"I've been well. Thank you."

The car fell back into silence. Amanda had forgotten how Diana was not one for small talk. Which is why it surprised her when Diana broke the silence yet again.

"So...the girls that you mentioned earlier," Diana paused for a moment "you...live with all of them?"

"Yeah, they..." Suddenly a light bulb all but appeared over Amanda's head as a smirk appeared on her face as she turned to look at Diana.

Diana looked away quickly, focusing intently on the road before her.

"Yeah, there's actually six of us. Is there any of them...specifically, that you're so interested in?" The smirk never left her face, and her gaze never left Diana's reddening face.

"Surely I don't know what you're implying. I'm not acquainted with your roommates." Diana does her best to throw Amanda off.

"Are you sure, though?"Amanda leaned a little closer as she spoke. "Are you sure you're not the least bit interested in a certain Japanese girl who happened to pay for your breakfast earlier this week?"

Amanda was met with silence. She chuckled a little and turned to look out her window.

"Turn up here. It's the blue and white house on the corner."

Diana only nodded and did what the red haired girl said. She eventually pulled up in front of the house and stopped. It was a lot nicer than she expected. Amanda stayed put for a moment before speaking.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I was only teasing."

"Yes, Amanda. I am very familiar with your personality by now." Diana said curtly, still not looking at Amanda. "No need to apologize."

"Well, thanks for giving me a ride. It really saved me a lot of time." She opened the door and made to get out but stopped. "Hey do you..uh..want to come in and have some coffee or something? And ya know, catch up?"

Diana looked at Amanda with wide eyes. She wanted to catch up? That was unexpected. Due to their family's familiarity, she would see Amanda quite often during the summers. She would not call it a friendship. Only a mutual understanding of each other, and she hadn't seen her in years. To be honest, it sounded kind of nice to catch up with her old acquaintance. And maybe while catching up with Amanda, she could get a few questions answered about a certain girl, who just happened to be Amanda's roommate.

"Do you happen to have tea?"

"Um...actually yeah. I mean, it's Akko's Japanese tea. I'm sure she won't mind." Amanda smiles before getting out of the car and retrieving her things from the back seat.

Diana nods before turning off the car and stepping out to follow Amanda. She opens the door and steps to the side to allow Diana entry into the house. The small entry opened up into a massive room with very high ceilings. Diana stood in awe, taking in the size. Looking around she spotted an over sized couch and love seat sitting in front of a big flat screen TV hanging on the wall over a fireplace. In the corner of the room was a very expensive looking baby grand piano covered in books and papers. Something drew her to it. She had not played in the years since her mother had passed away. She walked over to it and was surprised to see that the papers that were strewn about were actually staff papers with hand written notes. She picked up a stack of the papers and looked through them. These were no simple songs, they were intricate. Whoever wrote these had talent. They looked almost professional.

"I..uh..wouldn't touch those if I were you."

Amanda's voice shook her out of her trance and she quickly set the papers back down where she found them.

"I apologize."

"Don't worry about it. Akko may be a little scatterbrained, but this" She gestured to the general area of the piano "is controlled chaos. It's actually more organized than usual, if you can believe that." She chuckles.

"A-Akko? She wrote these?" Diana pointed to the sheets of paper in shock.

"She did." Amanda nods at her, watching her reaction very closely. "Andrew comes over once in a while to help her out when she's stuck but that's more for moral support. If you'll follow me to the kitchen, I'll get you that tea." Amanda turns to leave.

"Andrew Hanbridge?"

"Mmhmm."

Amanda pours her coffee as Diana walks into the kitchen behind her.

"Right. Is he….are they...um.." Diana pauses to rethink her words.

"Are they what?" Amanda raises her eyebrow at her.

"I heard from a friend that they are in a….romantic...relationship."

"You know what, we thought so too until four days ago. Crazy right?" Amanda laughs. "Turns out she swings the other way. Who knew? I thought my gaydar was on point up until that moment." She snickers again as she sets Diana's tea on the table and gestures for her to sit. "You think you know a person..."

"Your...gaydar? So she's..."

"Gay. Like us." Amanda smirks and winks at her.

"I never said I was gay. Why would you..."

"Oh please, Diana. You were staring at her ass, and practically drooling." She laughs as Diana complexion reddens.

"I…she..." Diana is at a loss of what to say to that. "Her shorts...are too short. How was I supposed to not stare?" She almost shouts, and then she face palms.

"You know who doesn't stare at Akko's ass? Straight girls. That's who." Amanda grins at her. "Quite frankly, I don't blame you. You don't have to be so defensive about it."

"I'm not..." Diana was about to shout again, but instead takes a deep breath.

"If it makes you feel any better, I saw her checking you out in that line as well." Amanda shrugs as she takes another sip of her coffee.

If Diana wasn't red before, she was now. Her face and ears were burning. This was too much. All of it. Talking to Amanda, these feelings, what was she supposed to do with this information?

"I must take my leave, Amanda. It was a pleasure." Diana quickly stood up and moved toward the door.

"Wait!" Amanda called out standing up to follow.

Diana didn't stop.

"Hey hey." Amanda moved past her and blocked the door.

"What in the world.."

"Party." Was all Amanda said, cutting her off.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, we are having a celebration for Akko tonight at Luckys. I would like to invite you."

"A...what kind of celebration?" Diana said hesitantly.

"She got an A...on a paper." Amanda grimaced when she heard how crazy that sounded.

"She got an A on a paper." Diana said flatly. "And that is grounds for celebration?" Her brows furrowed.

"Well you don't know Akko." Amanda laughed awkwardly. "Look, I'm sure she'd love to see you there. Just think about it okay? We'll probably be there around 8."

"I'll...consider it. Now if you'll excuse me, Amanda, I have things to attend to."

Amanda nodded and moved to the side and opened the door. Diana quickly moved passed and made her way to her car.

"I'll see you tonight then." Amanda yelled to her.

Diana just waved over her shoulder not looking back as she unlocked her car and got inside. She quickly turned it on and drove away.

Later that day on Luna Nova's hockey field, the women's team was running through countless drills. Different positions were isolated, working on their respective skills. A whistle sounded out through the shouts and chatter.

"Ladies, that's enough for today." Coach Ursula shouted. "Akko, lead the stretches and then you're all free for the weekend."

The girls cheered excitedly as they circled around their team captain. Minutes later, they were exiting the field in different directions, all wishing each other a good weekend. Akko, Amanda and Jasminka met at the bleachers as usual.

"Hey, coach Ursula, we are going to Luckys tonight for a celebration. You should come!" Akko said cheerfully to the older woman. Ursula and Akko had become very close in the past year, resulting in Ursula becoming more like an older sister to Akko than a coach.

"Oh? And what are we celebrating?" She asks curiously. Thinking hard to make sure she hadn't forgotten some important event.

"Akko here got an A on her musical theory paper." Amanda smiles and pats Akko on the back.

"That's great Akko. I'm so proud of you!" Ursula says, smiling proudly at her player.

Akko blushes furiously at the praise.

"So? You gonna be there coach?" Amanda asks with her arm around Akko. "Maybe you can get that shut in girlfriend of yours out tonight too." She smirks.

"Croix is not…okay. She may be a little bit of a shut in right now." Ursula admits sheepishly. "Only because she throws herself into her work sometimes."

"Then she can use a break, right?" Akko says enthusiastically.

"That's an understatement." Ursula mumbles under her breath.

"What was that coach?" Amanda asks knowingly.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all." She laughs nervously. "I will do my best to be there, Akko." She smiles warmly at the brown haired girl.

"Great!" Akko yells. "Well we better get going, I've got a celebration to get ready for!"

The three girls pile in to Jasminka's car and start driving home. Akko fidgets excitedly as they turn into the neighborhood where there little blue house resides. As soon as Jasminka parks the car, Akko jumps out and runs toward the door.

"Akko, slow down. We still have a few hours." Amanda laughs.

"I need to take a shower and figure out what to wear! You know how long it takes me to get ready!" She unlocks the door quickly and runs inside.

"Fair enough." Amanda looks at Jasminka, and they both shrug.

Akko runs to her room and grabs her things for the shower and then runs to the bathroom and slams the door. When Amanda and Jasminka walk into the kitchen, they are greeted by Lotte and Sucy at the table in the middle of the room.

"What was that about?" Lotte asks Amanda, gesturing toward where Akko disappeared into the bathroom.

"Eh, you know how excitable Akko is. She's just excited to go out tonight." She shrugs, sitting down opposite of Lotte. "Listen, I've invited a special guest tonight. I want Akko to look amazing, and I need your help."

"A special guest?" Lotte's eyes light up. "Oooh, who is it?"

"I...can't tell you, in case they don't show up." Amanda fidgets with her hands. "So will you help me?"

"Of course!" Lotte claps her hands together. "This will be fun!"

"Fun...right. I'm assuming you've never tried to get Akko to dress up for anything." Amanda smirks.

"And I'm assuming you've never looked in her closet." Lotte smirks back at Amanda, folding her arms.

"Huh? No, I haven't. What am I missing?"

Lotte just giggles and shrugs.

"Let's just say there's more than one thing she hasn't come out of the closet about." Sucy snickers.

"I'm...going to see if Akko is out of the shower yet. And...maybe look in her closet." Amanda stands up and quickly walks out of the room.

Lotte giggles again and gets up to follow. Sucy just sighs and goes back to reading her book and eating her favorite snack of sauteed mushrooms.

"I live with a bunch of idiots." she mumbles.

Akko finally gets out of the shower and walks back into her room with her robe on. She freezes in place when she sees Amanda rolling around on her bed, laughing. Lotte sits on the edge, shooting her an apologetic look while pointing to the closet. Akko glances to where she's pointing and her eyes widen in panic. She runs over and closes her closet door and turns around to lean against it.

"Ahahahaha You….ahaha...sundresses! Frilly sundresses!" Amanda grabs her stomach as tears of laughter start to form in her eyes.

"Amandaaaa!" Akko whines crossing her arms. "They're comfortable and light. I am a girl after all, I can...I can have sundresses if I want!" She yells and then pauses briefly. "Wait, why are you two in here going through my closet?"

Amanda is still trying to catch her breath while randomly giggling to herself. Lotte stands up and walks over to the closet and pushes Akko aside.

"We are here to help you look perfect tonight, Akko." Lotte smiles as she opens the door and starts pulling clothes out for Akko to try on.

"Eh?! Why would I have to look perfect? We are going to a bar." Akko says, watching Lotte in confusion.

"Hey, you never know who you might see there, yeah?" Amanda winks.

Akko opens and closes her mouth at the gesture. She simply nods, knowing there is no arguing with Lotte. Besides, it might be nice to dress up tonight. It is a special occasion after all. Lotte hands her the first batch of clothing to try on. Akko takes it and walks to the bathroom to try the outfit on. Outfit after outfit she takes to the bathroom to try on. None of them seem to be acceptable. Too girly, too boyish, too this, too that, she was starting to regret this.

"Why can't I wear my jean shorts and a tank top like I always do?!" Akko says, throwing the last outfit onto the pile of clothes forming on the bed.

"Akko, it's like 40 degrees outside." Lotte says, frustrated.

"And let's just say, for some people, all that skin you usually show might be a little distracting." Amanda snorts.

Akko just rolls her eyes and waits for Lotte to give her the next outfit.

"Guys, I've figured it out!" Lotte shouts, making the other two jump slightly. She grabs a few things from the closet, and then rummages through the pile of clothes on the bed, and then runs out of the room.

"Now you've done it, Akko." Amanda says, shocked at the scene. "She's finely gone mad."

"Hey! I didn't do anything but play dress up!" Akko sticks her tongue out.

Lotte then runs back into to room breathing heavily as see shoves a pile of clothes into Akko's arms. The brown haired girl walks slowly out of the room as Lotte falls heavily onto the bed with a sigh.

"Oh….my….god!" Akko shouts from the bathroom a few minutes later. "Lotte, you're a genius!"

She walks back into the bedroom imitating a model. Amanda's eyes grow wide with her mouth agape.

"It's perfect." She whispers.

"Mmmhmmm." Lotte smiles brightly.

Akko turns to look at herself in her full length mirror. She wore red skinny jeans, a dark gray tank top, a black leather jacket and black and white converse shoes.

"My baby's all grown up." Lotte jokingly says, pretending to cry.

"It's just missing one thing." Akko says, ignoring Lotte. She once again opens her closet and takes something from the shelf above the hanging clothes. A crocheted gray slouchy beanie that Jasminka had made for her. She put it on and stood in front of the mirror again, making sure her hair flowed perfectly out of the bottom. Then she smiles and nods excitedly.

"You look like a hipster." Lotte said flatly.

"Aww, come on Lotte, that beanie is so Akko. In fact, the whole outfit looks amazing. You're going to turn heads tonight my friend." Amanda gets up and pats Akko on the back.

"I'll have to admit, the beanie is a good addition for you." Lotte smiles as she joins Akko and Amanda at the mirror.

"Thank you so much, Lotte, Amanda." Akko says, tears forming. "This is going to be the best night ever!" She shouts and pumps her fist into the air.

Diana had been at the library for two hours. But after her conversation with Amanda, she only got about a half an hour's worth of work done. She reread sentences in her textbook time after time and she found it hard to write coherent sentences when she tried to work on her research paper. Her brain wasn't letting her think of anything but the brown haired girl and her celebration tonight. Her longing to see that girl again outweighed any motivation she might have had to do her school work. She decided it was time to quit for the day when she mindlessly drew a doodle of a girl with a brown little ponytail sticking up from her head on her notes from earlier that day. With a sigh she gathered her things and left the library.

She walked through the door of her apartment and walked straight to the living room where her roommates were sitting cross legged on the couch next to each other, with textbooks and notebooks in their lap. Diana sat down on the love seat and leaned onto the arm with her left elbow and rubbing her temples like a headache was coming on. Hannah and Barbara looked at each other curiously before speaking up.

"Are you okay Diana?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, you don't look so good." Barbara stated,

"I am perfectly fine, girls. No need to worry." Diana sighs. "I've just had a rather exhausting day."

"Well then it's a good thing you came home early." Barbara smiles at her. "You need to rest!"

"Actually...to be honest..." Diana pauses "I was thinking about...maybe...going out tonight?" She didn't mean for that to come out as a question.

Silence. Hannah and Barbara were shocked into silence, which she had never seen before. Hannah's books dropped to the floor. Barbara look like she was about to faint, or scream with how far her jaw hung open. A good couple minutes went by before Diana couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Ahem. Girls?" Diana raised her eyebrows. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me."

Two sharp breaths and two loud squeals sounded out and Diana winced from the volume.

"Of course, Diana!" Hannah shouted.

"We'd love to!" Barbara added.

"Where are we going?" They shouted in unison.

"I believe the establishment is called Luckys." Diana said hesitantly.

"Luckys?" Hannah taps her fingers on her chin.

"Wait, Luckys. That's the little bar we passed when we tried out that new hairdresser, Hannah. I remember all of those horrid fluorescent light signs." Barbara shivered at the thought.

"Oh. Right. Why in the world would you want to go there, Diana?"

"I was invited to a...celebration. Of sorts. It would be rude of me not to attend." Diana raised her eyebrow to them. "It is quite alright if you do not wish to visit that particular establishment. I will still be attending with or without you."

"NO!" They both shouted.

"We couldn't let you go alone." Hannah says, determined.

"Surely I can take care of myself." Diana pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Of course you can, Diana. We would love to accompany you, though. If you'll still have us." Barbara says, sheepishly.

"Thank you girls. And I would appreciate your company." Diana smiles briefly, and then frowns. "Girls, what does one wear….to a bar?"

Hannah and Barbara's faces light up. They turn to each other and put their hands to their mouths. They stand up at the same time, each one grabbing Diana's hands and dragging her toward her bedroom.

"What are you two..." Diana says in confusion.

"Just leave it to us Diana." Hannah says as she pulls Diana along.

About an hour and 20 outfits later, Diana falls face first onto her bed and groans.

"Who knew that being too classy was a bad thing sometimes." Barbara sighs.

"We can't give up!" Hannah shouts at them. "One more Diana. I think I have it this time."

Diana reluctantly gets up and takes the clothes from Hannah and walks into her bathroom. After a few minutes, Diana walks back out into her bedroom and twirls for the two girls.

"That's it!" Barbara exclaims. "Hannah, that's perfect!"

"I know, right?" Hannah flips her hair victoriously.

"You don't think this is still a little too fancy?" Diana looks at herself in the mirror, cocking her head to the side.

She wore a tight black jeans, a light gray tank top, with a darker gray blazer over top with the sleeves rolled up, and gray high heels. Her blonde hair was put up into a ponytail. She turned from side to side, but slowly a smile crept onto her face.

"Girls, you've outdone yourselves." She turns to them and her smile widens. "It's perfect."

Hannah and Barbara jump up and down squealing happily and clapping there hands before they hug each other. Diana chuckles at the sight.

"Okay, now I suggest you two get yourselves ready quickly." She says, shooing the two squealing girls out of her room.

After all three girls were ready, they stepped out of their apartment.

"Wait, who's driving?" Hannah asks.

"I have hired a driver for the evening ladies. We can all enjoy ourselves tonight." Diana says with a smile.

They walk out to the parking garage where a black car with tinted windows is waiting for them. The driver steps out and walks around the car.

"Good evening, Miss Cavendish. It's good to see you again." He says as he opens the door for them.

"Good evening, Timothy." Diana nods.

Hannah and Barbara slide in followed by Diana. The driver gets in and starts driving. Fifteen minutes later, they arrive at Luckys.

"I will be calling you when we are ready to leave, Timothy. We do appreciate your services."

"It is my pleasure, Miss Cavendish. I will be awaiting your call."

With a nod, Diana exits the vehicle followed by Hannah and Barbara. They stand in front of the big wooden double doors to the bar. Diana can't walk any further yet. Why was she so nervous? The girl she has been longing to see is just on the other side of those doors. What will she say? Diana wrings her hands together nervously.

"Umm, Diana? Are we going in? It's cold out here." Hannah says, shivering.

"Oh...yes. Yes, let's go." She takes a deep breath and pushes the door open.

The sight they are met with when they walk in leaves them standing in awe. It's bigger than it looks from the outside. A high vaulted ceiling looms over them and loud music fills the air. The bar is directly opposite them at the back of the building while the tables and over sized booths are to their right. I large dance floor sits to their left and beyond that, a stage for live music. It was quite the sight as Diana nor Hannah or Barbara had never stepped foot in a place like this. It wasn't unpleasant, however. It felt comfortable, homey. It was not like anything Diana had expected. She looked around, hoping to see any familiar faces in the crowd when suddenly the song changed. It was a song she rather liked. Havana by Camila Cabello.

"I love this song!" Barbara exclaimed behind her. "Let's go dance, Hannah!"

"We can't just leave Diana here by herself, Barbara!" Hannah shouted over the loud music.

"Then it's a good thing she ain't alone, right Cavendish?"

Diana jumped at the unexpected voice near her right ear and the arm dropping on her shoulder. She turned and saw the fiery red haired girl smirking at her.

"Good evening, Amanda." Diana smiled at her.

"I'm glad you made it! I see you still have those sheep nipping at your heels, huh?" She whispered and then snorted.

"Well if it isn't Amanda O'Neil." Hannah said in an icy tone. "You are the last person I expected to see here. Is this who invited you, Diana?" She scoffed.

"Ladies, do go and enjoy yourselves. I must speak with Miss O'Neil for a moment."

"Yeah, run along little sheep." Amanda shooed them off.

The two girls glared at her before turning to leave for the dance floor.

"Please do try to be civil, Amanda. They are still my closest friends after all."

"Yeah yeah. I'll try." Amanda says dismissively.

Diana looks around the bar searching for the reason she was here. If Amanda was here, then surely Akko was close by. Amanda taps her on the shoulder and she turns to look at her.

"She's on the dance floor." Amanda winks and points.

Following the direction of the pointed finger, Diana's eyes fall onto a very interesting sight. Akko was indeed on the dance floor. And she was indeed dancing, very erotically dancing, with another girl. Although she was not an expert, if there ever was a definition of dirty dancing, this was it. Diana was in literal shock. Her eyes were wide, her mouth couldn't open any farther than it was, and she was frozen to the spot. And she was sweating. Her stomach did a back flip and her heart was racing. This...was new. She would never be caught dancing all over someone like that, but seeing Akko sway her hips with someone else...she wanted that someone else to be her. And she wanted to walk over and tear that girl away from Akko. 'I'm in deep trouble' is her first thought.

"...ana."

This was confusing. 'I haven't said more than twenty words to this girl and I'm jealous?!' was her second thought.

"...ianaaaa."

'I need a cold shower' was her third and final thought, before hearing a loud snapping noise by her ear.

"Oi! Princess! Snap out of it!" Amanda said, snapping her fingers a few more times.

Diana shook her head while pushing Amanda's hand away from her head. She pulls on her blazer to straighten it out and clears her throat.

"Welcome back to earth, Miss Cavendish." Amanda snickers.

"My apologies. I don't know what came over me."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I have an idea." The red haired girl chuckles. "Sooo….I feel like I need to tell you something.

Diana is surprised at her serious tone. She furrows her brows as Amanda continued.

"We may have taken a few...pre celebration shots back at the house, and Akko is pretty buzzed already."

"….And?" Diana urges her to continue after a moment.

"She's...um...well let's just say that Akko is a very _very_ friendly drunk. Very friendly indeed."

"Is that...a problem? Being a friendly drunk?" Diana was confused.

"Oh Diana..." Amanda says as she face palms. "You know what, this could be interesting. Let's see how it plays out shall we?"

She grabs Diana by the arm and drags her toward the tables and booths. She spots Akko on the other side of the bar walking in the same direction. She was taking off a black jacket as she went. Diana could see the muscles in her shoulders and arms from here. They shimmered from a bit of sweat she had accumulated on the dance floor. Her red pants hugs her curves in all of the right ways. Just then, Akko looked over, and her face lit up with the biggest smile she had ever seen. Diana swallowed nervously. That smile couldn't be for her could it? Closer and closer. She was about to meet this girl once more, face to face. What was she going to say?

"Well well, is that the famous Diana Cavendish?"

And then she heard it. A voice she hasn't heard in a very long time. But even to this day, it never failed to irritate her. She looked down and to the side and it was in fact, who she thought it was.

"Hello Andrew." She said rolling her eyes and sighing.

"It's been a while." He says smirking.

"Indeed."

"Dianaaaa! I can't believe you're here!" Akko shouts happily as she comes closer.

"Yes, I...oof!"

The blonde was cut off when she was pulled into a very tight hug. Her arms were trapped in the embrace and all she could do was just stand there awkwardly. Amanda and Andrew put their hands to their mouth to cover their laughing.

"That blush on your face suits you, Diana." Andrew grins evilly.

"Friendly." Amanda whispers into her ear.

By now, the hug lasted longer than it should have, and Diana's face and ears must have been glowing red.

"A-Akko."

"Hmm?"

"If you wouldn't mind, could you possibly..."

"Oh." Akko finally let's go. And then she looks up at Diana in complete shock. "Oh...my...god. I am so sorry. Wow. You look hot tonight. Wait, I-I mean...uh...heh heh." She rubs the back of her neck. "It's...uh...v-very n-nice to see you...again."

"It's quite nice to see you again as well, Akko." Diana finally pulled herself together after seeing the nervous, flustered girl. It was an amusing sight. And quite cute, if she was being honest.

"Diana, we got you a drink!" Hannah shouted as her and Barbara walked up to the small group.

"Oh, thank you girls." She takes the drink before continuing. "Girls, this is Akko. Akko, this is Hannah and Barbara."

"Nice to meet you." Akko smiles brightly at them.

The two girls only stare. Diana grins as she takes a sip from her sweet mixed drink. And then grimaces, because that mixed drink was very strong.

"Wow." Barbara said, looking over Akko. "You..um..that outfit looks really good on you."

"Thanks so much!" Akko says happily.

"Oh, Andrew! We didn't see you there." Hannah says as she sits down next to him.

"Hello Hannah, Barbara." He nods and smiles. "So Diana, are you here to celebrate your birthday?"

He did not just say that. If looks could kill, Andrew would be dead ten times over from the glare that Diana had shot him. He knew very well that she did not like celebrating her birthday. It had come and gone a few days ago. Hannah and Barbara had wished her a happy birthday in the morning and that was it. Just like she liked it.

"Oh, yeah, you're birthday is close isn't it?" Amanda asks curiously.

"It was three days ago." Andrew mumbles, sipping on his bourbon.

Diana takes a very large gulp of her alcohol. This was going to be a very long night, she was going to need to be drunk for this. When she sees the cute brown haired girl bouncing on her heels and smiling at her, she slowly takes another drink.

"Happy late birthday, Diana!" Akko says excitedly. "You know what this means Amanda?"

"Umm….more shots?!"

"Yeeesss! More shots!" Akko gets the waitress' attention. "Heya Jennifer."

"What can I get for you Akko?" The waitress smiles warmly at her.

"Another round of shots for my me and my friends pleeeease." The brown haired girl flutters her eyelashes.

"And two double shots this time, yeah?" Amanda adds.

"Of course. I'll be right back."

"Thank you soooo much Jen." Amanda runs her hand down the waitress' arm. The waitress winks at her and turns away to walk to the bar.

Diana almost spit out the last of her drink at the action. Since she had all but chugged it after the mention of her birthday. Looking around, nobody else seemed to think the exchange was odd at all. Looking down at her glass, she was disappointed to only see ice. With a sigh, she set the glass down on the table. She could feel the warmth washing over her from the alcohol as she relaxed slightly. Until a certain brown haired girl latched on to her arm with both of hers. Akko stood on her tiptoes and pulled Diana down slightly.

"Don't worry Diana, this will be the best birthday ever." She whispered into the blonde's ear with her lips brushing slightly on the shell.

Diana shivered involuntarily at the contact. She could feel her face burning again and she knew it was not from the alcohol this time. The blonde was starting to get an idea of what Amanda meant by a 'friendly drunk'. She would usually never allow such actions toward herself, but from this girl, she welcomed them. 'How can anyone be so damn cute?!' She screamed internally.

"Come on, Diana! Come and meet the rest of the crew!"

Akko dragged Diana over to a large booth where five girls and one boy sat. She recognized the boy as one of Andrew's friends from school, Frank. And also Amanda, who had sat down on the outer edge.

"Hi, Diana. It's nice to see you again." Frank smiled.

"Hello, Frank. It's a pleasure to see you again as well."

"Next to Frank is Lotte, and then Sucy, and Jasminka, and Constanze, and Amanda! Everybody, this is Diana." Akko pauses. "Cavendish. Diana Cavendish."

Diana raises an eyebrow at her.

"Did you forget my last name, Akko?"

The residents of the booth break out into laughter.

"No no no….I didn't...I just...d-didn't know if I should introduce you as just Diana or..." She trails off blushing furiously.

"Trust me when I say that she has not forgotten your last name. She talks about you constantly." Sucy says in an uninterested tone.

"Sucy!" Akko yells, horrified!

"Oh? Do go on." Diana smirks as she sits down next to Frank. She puts her elbow on the table and holds her chin inquisitively.

"She's always talking about how pretty you are. You are very pretty by the way." Lotte says smiling at her.

"Thank you Lotte, I appreciate that." Diana smiles up at Akko, who is now covering her face with both hands. But judging by the red color of her ears, she could imagine what color her face is right about now.

'She loves your hair.' Constanze holds up her notebook for Diana to read.

Diana giggles at the statement. She knows she should stop this, but it is too entertaining.

"Tell her about the dreams, Sucy." Amanda says laughing.

"Oh my god! Stoooop!" Akko says through her fingers.

Luckily for Akko, the waitress, her savior more like it, came back with a tray full of shots for everyone.

"Now it's a party!" Amanda exclaims as she passes out the shots. "And a double for the birthday girl", she sets the shot glass down in front of Diana, "And a double for my girl, Akko." She sets the last shot glass down in front of Akko.

"Excuse me Amanda, what...is this?" Diana asks hesitantly as she lifts the glass up to inspect it.

"Only the finest Irish whiskey." The red haired witch grins. "Cheers everyone!" She shouts, holding up her glass.

"Cheers!" Everyone shouts before taking their shots.

The sounds of empty glass bottoms hitting tables turned into coughing as none where expecting the severe throat burning quality of this particular whiskey.

"I should have warned you that it burns like a son of a bitch." Amanda says half coughing and half laughing. "But it will mess you up quick."

"I found it quite enjoyable." Diana says calmly.

Every one went silent, looking over at Diana, who didn't seem at all affected by the potent drink.

"Hell yeah Cavendish!" Amanda shouts. "Another drink for the birthday girl!"

"Yeeeah!" Everyone cheers.

A little time passed, although Diana didn't know how much. She decided to take it slowly after that double shot she had taken, knowing that she was somewhat of the lightweight. But even with drinking slowly, the effects did not come slowly. She sat safely at the booth with Akko's friends, enjoying the banter between them. She found herself laughing more and more as the alcohol affected everyone's personalities. Every now and again she would glance over to the dance floor to find Akko. That girl seemed to have more energy than the energizer bunny. She wished she could spend some time with Akko, but couldn't find the courage to walk out onto the dance floor with her. She was not familiar at all with any kind of dance she saw in that bar, and she doubted they would play anything you could waltz to.

She found herself spacing out and staring quite a few times, but this time she was staring because Amanda had walked up to Akko and whispered something into her ear. Akko then looked directly at Diana and smiled very mischievously and nodded her head. The two of them parted ways, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the brown haired girl. She held her hands behind her back and slowly walked towards the blonde, never breaking eye contact. Diana swallowed nervously. It took a painfully long time for Akko to stride the length of the bar with how slowly she was walking. Was she doing this on purpose? What was going on? The anticipation was driving Diana crazy! Suddenly her view was block by a fiery red haired girl. Said girl grabbed Diana's hand and pulled her up out of the booth. She could see that Akko was close to them now, and she could only describe the smile on her face as….evil. Diana swallows the lump in her throat, noticing just how dry her mouth was.

"Say Akko?" Amanda said as she pushed Diana down into a lone chair in the middle of the isle between the booth and the table.

"Yes, Amanda?" Akko responds in an innocently sweet voice right behind the blonde.

"As you know, we missed Diana's birthday. I think we need to make it up to her" Amanda smiles and leans down to look Diana in the eyes. "And I think I know of the perfect gift." She smirks.

Diana feels hands on her shoulders and she can only presume they're Akko's. She can't move and she can barely breath. Her inebriation is making it impossible to think clearly. Suddenly she feels the hands on her shoulders move and arms come around to hug Diana's neck from behind.

"Oh? Do tell, Amanda." Akko speaks into Diana's ear in a low seductive voice.

The blonde intakes a sharp breath. Her fingers grip the sides of the chair next to her thighs. She glances to her right towards the tables. Hannah and Barbara look as shocked as she was, but Andrew looked very amused. She then looked to her left toward the booth. Frank only looked mildly shocked, Lotte and Sucy were both covering there mouths, no doubt laughing at Diana's expression. Jasminka was smiling as she eating her chips and salsa, and Constanze didn't look interested in the scene at all.

She turns back to Amanda still smirking at her. Suddenly a slower song comes over speakers and Akko lets her go. The red haired girl leans in to whisper in her ear.

"Enjoy the show, princess." She then straightens up and steps back a few paces.

Diana sees Akko walking around her right side and proceeds to climb on and straddle her lap as the chorus of the song begins.

 _Am I outta my head? Am I outta my mind?_

 _If you only knew the bad things I like_

Akko runs a finger down the side of the blonde's face while serenading her. Wide azure eyes locking with seductive crimson red ones.

 _Don't think that I can explain it_

 _What can I say? It's complicated_

 _Don't matter what you say_

 _Don't matter what you do_

The brown haired girl then takes Diana's face in her palm and leans in close to her ear.

 _I only wanna do bad things to you_

 _So good, that you can't explain it_

 _What can I say? It's complicated_

The first verse starts, and she can hear Amanda start to rap in the background. Akko smiles at the blonde and lifts herself off of Diana's lap. She turns around and walks toward Amanda and begins to rap with her. She then proceeds to walk around the table behind Hannah, Barbara and Andrew and then back behind Diana, out of sight. The blonde couldn't make out most of the rap as her focus was on Akko the whole time. Just then she hears the brown haired girl in her ear again.

 _I want you forever even when we're not together_

 _Scars on body so I can take you wherever like_

Akko circles around Diana once more but sits on her lap side ways this time as the chorus begins again. She puts her right arm around the blondes neck and begins to sing. For good measure, she runs her finger along the line of Diana's defined collarbone this time. As the chorus ends for the second time, the brown haired girl gets up once more and starts rap with Amanda. And again Diana loses track of the words until the browned haired girl gets very _very_ close and runs her finger nails up the blonde's thighs.

 _Let me paint the picture_

 _Couch by the kitchen_

 _Nothin' but your heels on_

 _Losin' our religion_

At the last line, Akko winks and smiles while she bites her bottom lip. Diana's heart is about to pound out of her chest and her face and ears feel like they are on fire. She can't take this anymore. She closes her eyes tightly. She hears a low chuckle in front of her.

 _I want to you forever even when we're not together_

 _Scars on my body, so I can take you wherever like_

Diana can hear more people joining into the song now. When she opens her eyes, she sees that a crowd has gathered. 'Oh my god, this is so EMBARRASSING' she screams internally. 'Why am I still sitting here?!' Just then Akko straddles her lap again, seemingly staring into her soul. 'Oh, that's why.'

 _Don't matter what you say_

 _Don't matter what you do_

 _I only wanna do bad things to you_

This time Akko was grinding her body onto Diana's. The blonde tried and failed to lean away and was confused as to what she should be doing with her hands at this point. She knew what she wanted to do, but she was in public. None of that. So she wrapped her fingers around the back side of the chair with white knuckles.

 _The way we love, is so unique_

 _And when we touch, I'm shivering_

 _And no one has to get it_

 _Just you and me_

' _Cause we're just livin'_

 _Between the sheets_

Again, Akko winks and starts grinding once again as the whole bar it seems joins in for the rest of the song.

 _Am I outta my head? Am I outta my mind?_

 _If you only knew the bad things I like_

 _Don't think that I can explain it_

 _What can I say? It's complicated_

The blonde looks around at all of the people singing, even Barbara and Hannah were singing and swaying from side to side. She sends a glare at the traitorous girls. Their eyes widen and they stop immediately. Diana then looks back at Akko, who takes both sides of the blondes head in her palms, staring longingly and leaning in.

 _Don't matter what you say_

 _Don't matter what you do_

 _I only wanna do bad things to you_

 _So good, that you can't explain it_

 _What can I say? It's complicated_

The bar goes silent for a split second before it roars to life with cheers, whistles and hands pounding on tables. In the middle of it all, Akko is still straddling Diana's lap, face in hands, faces so close that their noses are almost touching. They are staring into each other's eyes intently. Hannah and Barbara have their hands to their mouths, wide eyes anticipating what's going to happen. The rest of the girls barely visibly nod, trying to force the action with their stares. Amanda face palms in the background.

Diana's mind is running a million miles an hour. 'She's so close. Is she going to….oh god, is she going to...' Her eyes widen a fraction and she involuntary holds her breath. 'Why is she just sitting there? Just do something!'

Akko's mind is running equally as fast. 'WHAT DO I DO?! Her eyes are so beautiful! And she smells so nice. I wonder what kind of perfume she wears. Her face is really soft. I should probably ask her what kind of products she uses. Wait, am I supposed to be doing something here? Oh gosh, I'm so close to her. Her lips look so soft.'

"Ah geez, just do it already!" Amanda loudly intervenes. She uses her pointer finger to gently nudge Akko's head forward. Well, as gently as possible. But it still results in Akko's lips smashing into Diana's roughly.

"Nnnnn" Akko makes a strained sound at the contact as she releases Diana's face and flails her arms as their lips break contact. She's so flustered that when she tries to dismount the blonde's lap she loses her footing and starts falling to the side of the chair.

"Akko!" Diana grabs onto the brown haired girl but instead of catching her before she falls, the force of the fall only pulls her along. Gravity does what it does best and Diana ends up on top of Akko on the floor.

"Um...oops." Amanda says backing away slowly.

Hannah and Barbara shriek in unison. The rest of the group let out fits of laughter as Diana stares down in shock at Akko beneath her.

"Are you okay?" She whispers.

"Heh...heh. I'm...um...I'm fine. I just….can't...breath..." Akko replies breathlessly.

Diana notices the position they're in and immediately pushes herself off of Akko and stands up straight, brushing out the wrinkles in her clothes. The brown haired girl does the same. They both clear their throats, not able to look each other in the eyes.

"My my, that was quite a show, Miss Kagari."

The laughter stops as everyone turns toward the direction of the voice.

"Croix?! Ursula?!" Akko shrieks in embarrassment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _Part 2: A Celebration...Why?_

"Croix?! Ursula?!" Akko shrieks in embarrassment.

"I've...never seen that side of you, Akko." Ursula laughs.

"And is that _the_ Diana Cavendish? My dear Ursula, I can't be that intoxicated already, do you see her too?" Croix smirks and turns to Ursula, who chuckles and nudges her with an elbow.

"Coach! You made it! And you even got your shut in girlfriend out of the house!" Amanda shouts proudly. "Drinks all around! Jennifer! I need you!" She turns and leaves toward the bar.

"Hey!" Croix shouts and scowls at Amanda as she leaves. Ursula pats her shoulder reassuring her.

Croix sighs and turns to see Akko and Diana still staring at the two older women in shock.

"Ahem. Now I knew I'd be seeing Akko here tonight, but I had no idea that you two were...uh...acquainted, Miss Cavendish." Croix says with a raised brow at Diana.

"Yes...well, tonight is full of surprises, Professor Meridies." Diana says blushing.

"Indeed it is. And please, call me Croix."

"Of course, Croix. And do call me Diana."

They nod at each other before turning to the others watching them. Akko is looking back and forth at them, clearly confused as to how they know each other. But she lets it go, as Amanda was back with Jennifer and more shots. Akko and Diana were the first to grab theirs off of the tray and knocked them back as quickly as possible. Amanda snickered at the sight before passing the rest out. Jasminka and Constanze declined there shots, so Jennifer offered them to Akko and Diana, obviously knowing that they needed them, and they graciously accepted.

"So Akko, I didn't know you had a girlfriend." Ursula says right as the two girls were taking their shots.

Akko abruptly spit her whiskey out at the statement, and while Diana got hers down, she coughed violently. Ursula jumps back behind Croix who just chuckles.

"No! No no no. We….uh...we b-barely know each other." Akko stammers.

"You...were giving a lap dance to somebody you barely know." Croix says flatly.

"It was her birthday….It was a….birthday present..." Akko blushes.

"Is that something you do often for strangers on their birthdays?" The lilac haired woman smirks.

"Oh my god, Diana's not even gay!" Hannah shouts.

"She's not?" Sucy says, smirking.

"She's not?" Lotte says with her hand to her chest.

'She's NOT?!' Constanze holds up her sign.

"You're not?" Akko turns to Diana surprised. "I'm mean sheee's...uh...not?"

"..."

"Of course she's not. Tell them Barbara." Hannah crosses her arms.

"….uh..." Barbara's eyes flicker to Diana.

"Barbara!" Hannah looks at her black haired friend flabbergasted.

Amanda bends over and grabs her stomach as she laughs. Ursula looks thoroughly confused at the situation, Croix just chuckles and starts to walk to the bar to get a drink. Diana, who hasn't said a word, follows the lilac haired woman to the bar without looking at anyone.

"And I believe that is my cue to leave." Andrew stands up from the table and walks over to Akko. "Thank you for a rather interesting night, Miss Kagari. Never a dull moment with you, is there?"

"Andrew," Akko pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs "I suppose you're right." She then smiles. "Thanks for coming tonight."

Frank gets up from the booth after saying his goodbyes and comes up behind Andrew.

"Always a pleasure, Akko." Frank says happily.

"Good to see you Frank." Akko smiles back.

The boys start walking toward the door when they were stopped by Hannah and Barbara.

"Andrew, Frank. Could you give us a ride back to our apartment?" Hannah asks.

"Of course we can." Frank says, gesturing toward the door.

"Akko, can you let Diana know?" Barbara asks. "I don't think she's planning on leaving with us anyway….I mean right now, until you do….with you. I...uh..." She trails off, then turns abruptly and walks away quickly toward the door without another word.

Akko and Ursula watch her curiously until she disappears through the door.

"Well that was weird." Akko snickers.

"Yes, yes it was." Ursula giggles. "Akko, I apologize for embarrassing you earlier. I didn't mean to."

"Oh it's okay. Believe me, it's the theme of the night." Akko mumbles. "I'm so glad you guys made it though."

Just then, Croix walks up to them with two drinks in hand, followed by Diana.

"Your drink, my dear." Croix gives one of the drinks to Ursula. She then grabs her other hand, brings it up to her lips, and places a kiss on her knuckles. Ursula blushes furiously.

Akko giggles until she hears Diana clear her throat beside her.

"I brought you a drink, Akko." She holds it out without looking the brown haired girl in the eyes.

"Oh, thanks Diana." Akko says softly, taking the drink and drinking half of it in one go. "Oh hey, Barbara told me to let you know that they left. And that you weren't planning on going home with them anyway...or something along those lines."

"O-oh. I s-see. Thank you." Diana's eyes widened before proceeding to drink most of her drink in one go.

The other three watched her in awe.

"Damn, Wonder Woman!" Amanda laughed behind her. "Well ladies, I do believe I must go. I have...pressing matters to attend to." She glances behind her where Jennifer stood with her jacket over her shoulder. "So with that, congratulations Akko. Happy Birthday, Princess. Nice to see you coach, coaches shut in girlfriend. And I'm off!" Amanda salutes them before putting an arm around Jennifer and exiting the bar.

"One day I am going to slap that girl." Croix grumbles before taking a drink. Ursula giggles.

They walk over to the booth where the rest of the girls are sitting and squeeze in. After a short greeting, they get to talking about their daily lives, school, and Croix's new project. Diana's anxiety was lessening with every minute that passes during the seemingly normal conversation. Akko seemed to be relaxing as well. After another drink, she was swaying back and forth a bit and sometimes slurring her words. The blonde couldn't help but giggle at the permanent goofy smile on her face. She didn't know Akko, or any of these people very well, but she was comfortable here. Which surprised her immensely. The bartender announced last call for drinks over the loudspeaker followed by a very slow song filling the air. Couples flocked to the dance floor.

"Croix? Will you dance with me?" Ursula smiles pleadingly at the lilac haired women.

"Of course my love." Croix grabs Ursula by the hand and leads her toward the crowd.

"That's so sweet I think I'm going to be sick." Sucy drones.

Diana looks over at Akko and sees a longing look in her eyes while she watches the two older woman reach the dance floor. The blonde gets an idea but struggles internally. She wants to ask the brown haired girl to dance. But what would that mean? She doesn't want to seem too forward. This isn't some joke like the lap dance, or the hug from a friendly drunk. This was a serious gesture, wasn't it? Was she ready for that? She really did like Akko, but she barely knew her. Maybe she was overthinking this. Why is everything so complicated around this girl? 'Screw it' she thought as she slowly stood up. Maybe it was the liquid courage, or maybe she just doesn't care anymore, but she was going to do this. The blonde stood in front of Akko and leaned over slightly while extending her hand.

"May I have this dance, Akko?"

Akko looked up at the blonde with wide eyes. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Lotte gasped with sparkles in her eyes. Sucy gave the hardest eye roll humanity had ever known. Jasminka gave a small "aww" and munched on her new order of fries. Constanze, who was sitting next to the brown haired girl, just looked excitedly back and forth between Diana and Akko. The brown haired girl felt heat rising up her neck on onto her face. 'She's like my prince charming. I mean, princess charming. Or something like that. My god, how can anyone be this attractive'. All these thoughts were swarming in her head as she stared. Not trusting herself to form any coherent words at the moment, she just nodded slowly and took Diana's hand and stood up.

"Your hand is so soft." She whispered.

"Thank you, Akko." Diana chuckles as she led the brown haired girl to the dance floor.

They walk to the middle of the dance floor and face each other. Akko puts her hands on Diana's shoulders, and the blonde puts her hands on the Japanese girl's waste. They sway back and forth in time to the music, not being able quite look each other in the eye before Diana breaks the silence.

"Akko, there is something I must ask you about." Diana looks seriously at her.

"...okay?" Akko asks hesitantly.

"I want you to tell me about these dreams Amanda speaks of." She smirks down at the brown haired girl.

"Ahh...wha...it's not...it's not how it sounds I promise!" Akko distressingly shakes her head.

"Oh? And how exactly does it sound?" The blonde asks with a raised brow.

"...uh..." The brown haired girl looks up at the ceiling, thinking very hard about what to say next.

Diana laughs as she waits for Akko to reply. She looks over and sees Croix and Ursula watching them and smiling. The lilac haired woman winks at her. She looks away quickly and focuses her attention back to Akko.

"Ahem. Akko, I was simply teasing you. Don't worry about it." She says, smiling down warmly.

"O-oh. I see." Akko nods shyly. "So can I ask you why you're here tonight? I mean, this doesn't seem to be a place you'd hang out at."

"Oh." Diana stiffens. "A-Amanda didn't tell you?"

"Amanda?"

"Yes. Amanda invited me to your...celebration." The blonde glances upward. "And maybe I thought it'd be nice to see you again."

"You came here because of me?" Akko says in awe. "Wow, Diana. Thank you." She smiles brightly. "Bet you didn't think you'd get a kiss out of it though." The brown haired girl snorts.

Diana's face flushes. She had nearly forgotten about that kiss, well, if you could call it a kiss. She shakes her head slightly and smiles.

"You would be correct. I also didn't expect to get a lap dance for my birthday either. It is truly a night of firsts." She leans down closer to Akko. "I did quite enjoy the show by the way." She says in a low, smooth tone.

"Eek!" Akko squeaks as she freezes up. Eyes on anything but Diana and a blush rising rapidly. "I'm uh….I'm...g-glad you enjoyed it."

Diana's low chuckle sends shivers through the brown haired girl. They start swaying again to the music.

"I am curious about something though, Akko. What does the tattoo on your shoulder mean?" Diana had noticed the Japanese writing on Akko's shoulder many times that night but never had the chance to ask.

"Oh," Akko turns around to show Diana. "Shinjiru kokoro. It means believing heart."

"And why did you choose that?" The blonde asks while absentmindedly running her fingers along the tattoo.

"O-oh," Akko shivers "m-my parents always used to tell me I have a believing heart, b-because I did every thing I could to follow my dreams." She abruptly turns around, and clears her throat.

"Oh, I apologize. Ahem. So is that the only tattoo you have?" Diana asks, putting her hands back on Akko's hips.

"Uh...no." The brown haired girl shakes her head as she continues to sway.

Diana waits for her to continue, but Akko stays silent. So the blonde decides to dig.

"And? You're not going to show me?"

"..." Akko just shakes her head no.

"Will you tell me?"

Again the brown haired girl just shakes her head.

"I...see." Diana narrows her eyes.

"Do you have any, Diana?"

"No, no I don't."

"You should get one!" Akko say's excitedly. "You should go to the artist I went to!"

Diana looks at her in shock. The idea of a tattoo had never even crossed her mind. She couldn't imagine having something so permanent on her body. 'What would I even get if I decided…No, no! Why was I even thinking that?'.

"I'll keep that in mind, Akko."

The music fades away and the dance floor starts to clear. The girls reluctantly let go of each other and walk back toward the booth. The booth was empty now. Akko looks around the bar in search of her friends, but she couldn't see any of them. She notices a note left on their table that has the word 'Akko' written on it in big bold letters.

"Huh." She says as she picks it up.

Akko opens the letter and begins to read it as Diana reads it over her shoulder.

 _Akko,_

 _We are assuming that you had no intentions of leaving yet, and we were tired, so we left. I'm sure little miss Cavendish has a way to get you home. Use protection. Be safe. Bye._

 _Sucy_

"They left me!"

"Use protection?" Diana shouted in horror behind Akko. "That doesn't even make sense." She then grumbles.

"What does she mean by that?" Akko says confused.

Diana looks sideways at her, and then closes her eyes and sighs. 'Honestly, this girl'. Croix and Ursula join them at the booth and sit down.

"Where did everyone go?" Ursula asks, drinking from her glass of water.

Akko just hands Ursula the note. Diana makes to rip it away to avoid the embarrassment but she was too slow. Ursula and Croix read the letter together and break out into laughter at the ending.

"Use protection?!" Croix snickers. "Oh that is great. I really like this Sucy."

"But what does she mean by that?" Akko shouts over the laughter.

Croix just laughs, until she sees the serious expression on the brown haired girl's face. She looks at Ursula who is looking away, trying to contain her laughter, then at Diana, who is pinching the bridge of her nose shaking her head.

"Wait, you're serious? Oh my dear Akko, let me explain." Croix starts.

"NO!" Ursula and Diana shout quickly.

Croix jumps and leans back a bit, shocked by the reaction.

"Oh come ooooon!" Akko pouts, folding her arms.

"Croix, this is hardly the time nor place for an explanation like that." Ursula chastises.

"I believe you're right, my dear. I'm sure Miss Cavendish wouldn't mind explaining it to her later anyway." The lilac haired woman winks at Diana.

Diana inhales sharply and narrows her eyes. She balls her fists tightly as Croix laughs. Ursula, sensing an impending explosion intervenes.

"Croix! Stop teasing." She whispers, keeping a wary eye on Diana.

"Alright alright. I guess the bar is almost closed anyway, we should probably head home."

Diana lets out a long sigh of relief as they get up and go to the bar to pay for their drinks. She looks over at Akko, noticing the uncharacteristic silence to her left. The brown haired girl's cheeks and ears were as crimson as her eyes, and she made a point to avoid the blondes gaze.

"Akko, are you okay?" Diana asks worriedly.

"..." Akko puts her hands up to cover her face turning away further.

"Ah...did you...did you finally get the joke?" The blonde says hesitantly.

Akko nods, not uncovering her face.

"I see. I'm...going to call a car for us, okay?"

Akko nods again. Diana pulls out her phone and walks to the bar to make sure everything was paid for before they left. She passes Croix and Ursula on the way.

"Akko, thank you for inviting us. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Your friends are alright." Croix says, smiling fondly.

"I agree." Ursula adds. "Do you need a ride home? Akko? Are you okay?"

Akko had been silent. Her face was still quite red, but she looked deep in thought instead of horrified. She just now realized she wasn't responding to the two older women.

"Oh, s-sorry. Thank you, Ursula, but no. Diana called a car for us." She says softly looking down at her feet.

"Of course she did." Croix smirks. Ursula elbows her in the ribs.

"Would you expect anything less of me, Croix?"

The lilac haired woman jumps at the voice behind her. She turns around to see that Diana had joined them once more.

"Of course not, Diana. It's exactly what I expected."

"Well then, I assure you that I will get Akko home safely." Diana ignores Croix's comment and talks directly to Ursula.

"Thank you, Diana. I appreciate that." Ursula smiles and turns to Akko. "Congratulations again, Akko. I'll see you at practice on Monday."

"Yeah! Thanks so much for coming! I'll see you on Monday." Akko smiles brightly.

The two older women wave and turn toward the front door.

"Oh, and Croix?" Akko calls out as the lilac haired woman turns around with an eyebrow raised. "Don't forget to use protection." She smirks.

"Akko!" Ursula yells as her cheeks burn red. Croix laughs loudly as she is being dragged roughly out the front doors.

Akko giggles triumphantly at the sight, then stops when she remembers that she is alone with Diana now. The blush begins to come back to her cheeks. She looks over at the blonde who is just smiling at her. Their eyes find each other, and at that moment, neither can look away. They stand still and in silence for a moment. Diana feels like an invisible force was drawing her to Akko. The crimson eyes that stare into her soul are so welcoming, she feels that she could stare into them for forever, rather, she wants to stare at them for forever. Everything about this girl standing in front of her is making the blonde feel things she never thought possible. But what where these feelings? Infatuation? At the very least it was a crush. She had a crush on this very cute brown haired girl in front of her.

"S-so, I'm...uh...going to grab my jacket." Akko says, still not breaking eye contact.

"Yes, you probably should."

Akko still stands in place for a moment before shaking her head and walking over to the booth they sat at earlier. She could feel warmth rising in her stomach. Her heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. 'What is happening here?' She thinks as she grabs her jacket off of the seat. 'She is so out of my league. Why am I doing this to myself? And I have no idea if she even likes girls!' Her mind wouldn't stop reeling as she puts on her leather jacket. Pulling out her phone, she quickly texts Lotte and puts it back in her jacket. She turns back and starts walking toward Diana. 'I can't mess this up. Don't mess this up. Don't mess this up'.

"Ready?" The blonde smiles.

"Ready." Akko replies confidently.

Diana turns out her elbow in a gentlewomanly manner, looking expectantly at the brown haired girl. Akko links her arm with the blonde's and they both start giggling as they walk toward the front of the bar and then out the doors. The chill of the night hits them right away and they both shiver. Diana leads them to a black car parked in front of them and the driver gets out immediately.

"Whoa." Akko says breathlessly. Diana glances at her with a smile.

"Miss Cavendish." Timothy nods before opening the door for the girl.

"Hello, Timothy. We will be dropping Miss Kagari off first, if you wouldn't mind." She says as she gestures for Akko to get in first.

"I would not mind at all, miss." Timothy closes the door behind Diana and proceeds back to the drivers seat.

Diana takes out her phone to check her massages quickly and sees that Barbara had let her know that they had gotten home safely. She texts back quickly and puts her phone back in her picket. She's surprised that Akko had been so quiet in the minutes since they left. When the blonde looks over she understands why. The brown haired girl is leaning back against her seat with her eyes closed and her mouth open. She had fallen asleep. Diana lets out a long sigh leaning her head back as well. Timothy turns the car and the momentum carries Akko's head right into Diana's lap.

"Eek!" The blonde let's out a very undignified squeak. She holds her hand up in the air for a whole minute before setting it down on on Akko's waist. Diana continues, albeit shakily, to give directions to the driver until they finally get to the brown haired girls house.

"Akkooo." The blonde says, shaking Akko's shoulder gently.

"..."

"Akko." She says a little louder, and shaking a little more aggressively.

"...mmm?..."

"Akko, we are at your house. Can you sit up please?"

"..." Akko starts to snore.

"Oh for the love of..." Diana opens her door and gently lifts Akko's head off of her lap so she can get out. "I'll be right back, Timothy."

The driver nods at her as she closes the door and walks up the walkway to the front door of the house. She knocks three times, feeling guilty that she'd be waking the residents up just to get Akko out of her car. But no one came to the door. She knocked again, a little louder, but the same result came. She could hear no sound on the other side and no lights were on when she looked through the windows. With a huff she returned to the car and opened the back door and leaned in.

"Akko, I'm going to look in your pockets for a key, alright?"

The brown haired girl only kept snoring. Diana sighed before first checking her jacket pockets which only stored the girl's phone. Of course it wouldn't be in there, that would have been too easy apparently. She looked down at the red jeans that Akko was wearing and a blush took over her face. She bit her thumbnail for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.

"You can do this. You can do this." She whispered to herself.

"Are you okay, miss?" Timothy asks from the drivers seat.

"Yes!" Diana said a little louder than she'd meant to.

The blonde then dug her hand in the first front pocket. The only items in there were a credit card and an ID. She put them back and tried the other front pocket. She couldn't get here hand in because that's the side Akko was laying on, but it felt empty. So then she'd have to move to the back pockets. She couldn't bring herself to put her hand in. 'This shouldn't be a problem! Why do I feel so weird about this?!' She screams in her head as she stared at Akko's back pockets. Her face was burning up now. 'Stop being so childish!' she internally chastised herself. She closed her eyes and held her breath as she put her hand into the pocket. Feeling that the first one was empty, she moved to the second, which was empty as well. She pulled her hand back and let out the breath she'd been holding. She looked toward the driver, who was watching the scene in amusement. She rolled her eyes and looked back at the sleeping girl. Frustrated, she shook the girl again.

"Akko! Wake UP!"

"Mmm..." Akko just weakly tried to swat Diana's hand off of her.

"Ugh, Akko, you're so infuriating!" She shoves the sleeping girls legs over the edge of the seat and crosses her arms.

Diana looks toward the front door of the house one more time and then sighs as she shuts the car door.

"Timothy, to my apartment please." She says, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, Miss Cavendish."

The drive is silent once again. Diana stares out the window for a bit, but then finds herself staring at Akko's sleeping face. She never suspected to end the night this way. Where was Akko going to sleep? In her bed? No, she couldn't possibly let that happen, could she? It's not like anything was going to happen. This girl is incapacitated. Then why did the prospect of even just sharing a bed with this girl make her nervous? But what other option did she have? The couch? No. She couldn't do that to her guest. She let's out a long sigh. When she looks out of her window again, she notices that they are pulling up to the doors of her apartment building.

"Timothy, could you possibly help me get Miss Kagari up to my apartment?"

"Of course, miss." He smiles warmly.

They both get out and Timothy leans into the back seat to grab onto Akko and he pulls her out easily. Diana closes the door and tries to help, but Timothy shakes his head.

"I've got this. Lead the way, miss."

Diana smiles gratefully as she leads them in through the doors and to the elevators. Akko only mumbles incoherently a few times on the way. Once to her apartment, the blonde hesitates.

"You wouldn't mind getting her to my bedroom would you? I don't think I could manage it by myself and I would rather not wake my friends." She states, embarrassed.

"No problem at all."

Once Akko is safely in Diana's bed, she tips the driver rather graciously for helping her with her unfortunate situation and he leaves. Once she's alone she retreats beck to her room to check on the sleeping girl. She gathers her pajamas and also an extra pair of shorts and a t-shirt just in case. She goes through her nightly ritual of getting ready for bed before walking over to where Akko is resting. She looks down at the extra clothes in her hand, and then back at the girl. She leans down to take the girl's jacket off first. It was relatively easy to get the sleeves off, she wrapped her arm around Akko to pull her up slightly to get the jacket out from beneath her.

"Mmmmm…..Diana." Akko mumbles.

Diana freezes in place, her arm still around Akko. She looks down with wide eyes, wondering if she had woken her, but the brown haired girl was still fast asleep. 'Was she dreaming about me?!' was all she could think. 'Ohmygodohmygod!' She let Akko down slowly and she moves down to take the girls shoes off. Now she internally debated on if she should, or shouldn't exchange Akko's skinny jeans for the more comfortable shorts.

"Mmmmm…." The brown haired girl moaned in her sleep.

"Oh my god..." Diana whispered as she put her hands to her blushing face.

Okay, maybe taking her pants off was a bad idea. She moved to take a handful of the covers and raise them up over the sleeping girl. When she brought the blanket up over Akko's chest, she suddenly felt a hand on her cheek. Quickly she looks over only to see the brown haired girl had woken up and was looking at her, eyes half lidded and smiling dreamily up at the blonde.

"Diana?" Akko whispers.

"Yes?"

"Where are we?"

"My...bedroom." Diana blushes. She hadn't thought about how that would sound when she explained it. "You...uh...I couldn't wake you up. And no one answered the door at your house. I couldn't...nnnn!"

Suddenly, Diana was pulled into a deep kiss. She put her hand down quickly on the bed as to not topple over for the second time that night. She could feel Akko smile on her lips before she pulls away and lays her head back down on the pillow without opening her eyes again.

"You're so cute, Diana." Akko whispers and then giggles softly.

Diana didn't move. She was still leaned over on the bed staring wide eyed down at the girl who was apparently asleep once more. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Who in the world was this girl? This strange, very cute, somewhat infuriating girl was breaking down her walls effortlessly, and to be completely honest, it was really exhausting just being around her. With a sigh, Diana stood up and took a deep breath.

"It's fine. It's okay." She mumbled to herself as she walked to turn the light off. "This is just a strange night. No big deal." She then walked back to the other side of the bed and climbed on while pulling the covers over herself. "She's only driving you completely insane and now you're talking to yourself. Totally fine."

She settled down and closed her eyes while trying to keep her breathing even. After a few minutes, she was relaxed and on the verge of sleep, so close. Unfortunately her brain decided to remind her then, of something she had overlooked earlier, something completely and utterly horrifying. Her eyes shot open suddenly.

"Oh god, what am I going to tell Hannah and Barbara?"

 _ **Earlier that evening: Girl's house**_

In a room on the second floor of the blue and white house on the corner, four girls were huddled in front of a window looking out into the night.

"Akko is supposed to be home soon right?" Sucy drones as she picks her binoculars up off the floor.

"Yeah, if they left when she texted me, she should be home right about now." Lotte says, adjusting her glasses. "All the lights are off, right Constanze?"

Constanze gives her a thumbs up and passes her a pair of binoculars. Thanks to the short engineer, they had enough pairs for all four of them.

"And I brought popcorn." Jasminka says with a cheerful smile. "Want some?"

Constanze shrugs and takes some popcorn while handing Jasminka some binoculars. She then picks up her own pair and holds them up to make sure they are adjusted correctly.

"Sucy, maybe we shouldn't be spying on them." Lotte says nervously.

"This was your idea, Lotte."

"I know but now I feel guilt…."

"Hey, a car is pulling up." Sucy cuts her off.

They all put their binoculars to their eyes and look down at the street as the black car stops next to the curb and idles there. No movement can be seen in the car because of the tinted windows. After a few minutes, the girls start to get restless.

"I can't see anything. This is pointless." Sucy states disappointed.

"I wonder what they're doing." Jasminka says while eating popcorn quickly.

"The door is opening!" Lotte bounces excitedly. "It's...Diana. Aww...is she going to open the door for Akko? That's so romantic!"

"Uh...why is she walking up to our door without Akko?" Sucy raises her eyebrow slightly. "She does not look happy. What did Akko do this time?"

Lotte and Sucy feel a tap on their shoulder and turn to see Constanze holding up a sign to them.

'Shhhhh!' Then she holds her hands up as if to keep them quiet.

' _Knock knock knock'_

Lotte looks to the others, confused as to why they aren't answering the knocking on the door, but Sucy was smiling evilly with Constanze as she had figured out the engineer's plan. They stayed completely silent all the while.

' _Bang bang bang'_

Sucy couldn't help but let out a quiet snicker at the increased force of the knocks. Lotte was now fervently biting her fingernails as the silence wore on. Finally they see the blonde retreating to the black car. They collectively let out long breaths as they put the binoculars back to their eyes. When Diana opened the door again, a dim light turned on and they could finally see the scene in the back seat.

"She passed out?!" Lotte says, horrified.

"Keh heh heh heh..." Sucy cackled. "That big dummy."

"I think she's checking her pockets." Lotte furrows her eyebrows.

"Why is she just staring at Akko's butt?" Jasminka asks confused, popping more popcorn in her mouth.

"Ahem." Constanze clears her throat to get their attention and holds up a sign. 'She's probably looking for a key'

"Oh, that makes sense." Lotte nods her head. "She'll find it eventually, it's in that little pocket inside her jacket."

Constanze shakes her head and holds up a key, no, she holds up Akko's key. The three other girls look at her with wide eyes.

"Why do you have Akko's key?" Sucy narrows her eye slightly.

'It fell out of her jacket at the bar' Constanze shrugs as she holds up the sign.

The girls just nod without questioning further. They turn back to the scene just in time to see Diana shake Akko rather violently with not much of a reaction coming from the sleeping girl. Sucy lets out a snort as she watches this. Then they all watch in awe as Diana proceeds to throw somewhat of a mini fit and roughly pushes Akko's legs over the side of the seat and onto the floor of the car. All the while, the brown haired girl stayed fast asleep. All four girls put a hand to their mouths to try to contain their laughter at the action, their shoulders bouncing up and down as they try to keep the volume down. Finally Diana closes the door and the car slowly moves forward and a moment later it was gone. The four girls immediately fall to the floor and let out loud laughs, cackles and giggles until tears of sheer joy shimmered in their eyes.

"I feel bad for Diana." Lotte says, finally calming down enough to speak. "We probably should have opened the door."

"I'm not dealing with drunk Akko tonight. I think we've earned the night off." Sucy says flatly. "Besides, we wouldn't have seen that great show if we had." She grins.

"The expression on her face was pretty funny." Lotte giggles. "I wonder what's going to happen next?"

"We'll probably never know. You know Akko doesn't remember anything after she passes out the first time." Sucy says, grabbing some popcorn from the bowl. "She really is a big dummy."

 _ **Even earlier: Frank's car**_

The two boys and two girls had just finished laughing about the expressions on their blonde friend's face while she was receiving the lap dance. Frank had perfected the expressions and Andrew was laughing so hard, he was crying from the pure joy it brought him. Again, Akko had outdone herself.

"But did you see the ending? Diana was totally into it." Frank says chuckling.

"Oh, I believe she enjoyed it more than she let on." Andrew smirks from the passenger seat.

"Oh my god, Barbara, is Diana really gay?!" Hannah says on the verge of tears in the back seat.

"I'm pretty sure she is, Hannah." Barbara giggles. "Wait, why are you crying?"

"I don't know! I cry when I'm drunk! You know this!"

"You really need to pull it together, Hannah." Barbara sighs.

"I'm trying!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Morning After_

Morning came all too quickly for Diana as she sat up in her bed, unwilling to open her eyes to the sun shining through her window. She put her hands to her temples trying to relieve the pounding in her head. The blonde stood up and blindly walked toward the window, feeling around for the rod to close the curtains to shield the offending light. When it was finally safe, she opened her eyes and started to walk toward her bathroom when she remembered that she was sharing her bed with a certain brunette. She had hoped last night was all just a very strange dream, but she was proven wrong when she looked toward her bed. There lay Akko, sprawled out like she was attempting to make a snow angel in her dreams. The blankets were only covering the bottom half of her legs now, and at some point during the night, she had taken off her pants. She wore some very risque black lacy underwear. Diana only stared for a moment and then closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm just...not even surprised." She mumbles and she enters her bathroom to take a hot shower.

She undressed, turned on the hot water, and stepped. She washed her body and her hair quickly and just stood in the running water for longer than she usually did. After turning off the shower, she stepped out and toweled off before putting on her robe. She turned on her blow dryer to dry her hair when she heard a scream. Quickly she turned the blow dryer off and heard a different scream. 'Oh no' she thought, but she didn't move, hearing the rest of the screaming play out.

"Oh my god, Akko! What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here...um...sorry I forgot your name."

"HANNAH!"

"Oh, what you are you…! Wait, where am I?"

"You're in Diana's bedroom!"

"Why am I in Diana's bedroom?!"

"I don't know! That's what I'm asking you!"

Diana reluctantly opened the door slowly and stepped out. Akko was standing next to the bed with the blanket wrapped around her lower half, and Hannah was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. Barbara stood in the doorway, seemingly afraid to enter the room as if a war was ensuing. All three of them turned to look at the blonde in shock, and silence filled the room as everyone was at a loss of what to say at the moment.

"Please, girls, if you could keep the shouting to a minimum until after my head has stopped pounding, I'd very much appreciate it." Diana says putting her hands to her temples again. "I assure you, this is all a misunderstanding. I will explain over breakfast if you wouldn't mind, Barbara?"

"Yes, of course, Diana. Hannah why don't you help me make some breakfast."

"But why..." Hannah starts.

"Hannah, please help me..." Barbara grabs Hannah by the hand and starts dragging her to the door "with breakfast and Diana will explain it to us." She finishes as she shuts the door behind them.

Silence filled the room and the two girls couldn't quite look each other in the eyes. The brunette shifted nervously side to side.

"Your friend is...intense." Akko says, staring at the door where the two girls disappeared through.

"Yes, she certainly can be." The blonde sighs.

"So…uh...what happened last night?" Akko asks while looking around for her pants and then she freezes. "We didn't...uh...we d-didn't..."

Diana notices the brunette's jeans are wrapped up in the blanket that is currently wrapped around her. She walks to Akko, unwraps the jeans and holds them out.

"If you are implying what I think you are, then no, Akko. We did not." Diana says as evenly as she can, fighting a blush that is threatening to come on.

The brunette takes the jeans and nods her head.

"So we didn't...have sex?"

"Akko! I literally just told you that we didn't!" The blonde raises her voice slightly and throws her hands up in frustration, because now, that blush was sure to be visible on her cheeks.

"Well, you...uh...didn't actually say that. I was just making sure." As she says this, she lets go of the blanket that was wrapped around her to put her hands up in her defense, and that blanket was now on the floor at her feet. "I mean, you could have meant something else!"

Diana, again, got an eyeful of the sexy, black, lacy underwear. She also got a glimpse of a tattoo sticking out of the top of the low cut lingerie below her left hip. She couldn't exactly tell what it was as most of it was covered, which means she'd have to see her naked to…she immediately looked down at the floor and closed her eyes. This time, the underwear had effected her in the worst way for more reasons than just one. 'And I thought her legs looked good in the shorts. Ugh...stop it self!' Her face began to blush furiously and she had to make a conscious effort to remember to breath.

"Please, for the love of god Akko, put on your pants."

"Gah!" Akko shouted in distress as she fumbled to pull the blanket back up over herself.

Diana turned around and walked toward the bathroom without looking back, and forcefully shut the door behind her. The brunette quickly put her pants on before she would have any more embarrassing run ins. She found her shoes and her jacket was folded up on the nightstand next to where she was sleeping. She sat down and put her face in her hands, wanting to scream. She had so many questions. The brunette looked around the room for the first time. It was really nice and modern, and very spacious. Now that she thought about it, it reminded her of a very expensive hotel room. She didn't see much of anything personal in the room, and it was cleaner than any bedroom she had ever been in. 'I should probably clean my room when I get home'.

"Are you ready, Akko?" Diana stood in the doorway of the bathroom straightening out her clothes.

Akko's jaw dropped. Diana was sporting tight blue jeans and a red and black flannel shirt over a black tank top.

"Gorgeous." She whispers.

"What was that?"

"Ah...nothing. Nothing. Yes, yes I am...ready, that is." Akko stammers.

She follows Diana out of the bedroom and to the kitchen where Hannah and Barbara had prepared omelets, toast and tea. It smelled delicious to Akko, she didn't realize just how hungry she was until she looked at the amazing food. Diana, Hannah and Barbara had taken their respective seats and the brunette took the last seat, which was between Diana and Barbara.

"Thank you, ladies. It looks wonderful." Diana smiles appreciatively at the two other girls.

"Yes! Thanks. It smells amazing." Akko says, grabbing her fork and salivating.

"It's no problem, really." Barbara smiles at Diana.

Hannah only nods.

The girls fall into an awkward silence while they eat. The only noise in the room was the sound of the clinking of the silverware on plates, and teacups on saucers. Akko would have been uncomfortable with it, but she had her food to focus on. She did notice, however, the glances she received from Hannah and Barbara. They were no doubt patiently waiting for Diana to give them an explanation as to what happened last night. The brunette was also waiting as patiently as she could, because she herself had no idea what happened after they left the bar. Soon, the blonde was the only one with food left. Hannah was bouncing her leg up and down like she had a nervous tick, staring at the heiress. Finally Diana sighed and wiped her mouth with her napkin before breaking the silence.

"First and foremost, ladies, I'd like to apologize for the….scene you happened upon this morning." She took a sip of her tea before continuing. "After Akko and I left the bar last night, she fell asleep in the car."

"Ah...sorry." Akko says sheepishly.

"It's alright Akko. When we arrived at her house, I couldn't wake her up and no one was answering the door. I couldn't find a key in any of her pockets..."

"Eh?" The brunette cut her off. "The key is in the inside pocket of my jacket."

"You've got to be kidding me." Diana says flatly.

"Yeah...I mean no...uh..." Akko opens her jacket and feels the inside of the small pocket, but it was empty. "Ah shit, I lost it. Amanda's going to be pissed." She whispers.

Diana clears her throat with her eyebrow raised to get Akko's attention back on her. Once all three girls eyes were back on the blonde, she continues to explain.

"I simply had no other option than to bring her back to the apartment with me. Timothy helped me bring her up here, I took off her jacket and her shoes of course, and then she k..." Diana stops talking immediately and her eyes grow wide as she looks to the other occupants of the table. How had she forgotten until now? Akko had kissed her, rather passionately. And she most likely doesn't remember. She must have been silent for a few minutes because Barbara had decided to intervene.

"...And then she...did what?" She cocks her head to the side curiously.

"Yeah, what did I do?!" Akko says, totally transfixed on the story.

"She...ah...just slept. She stayed asleep and I fell asleep and that was the end of it." Diana says quickly as she stands up, taking her plate to the sink.

Hannah and Barbara glanced at each other, silently letting the other know that they did not believe their friend. Akko watched as they turned to look at her now, with their arms crossed and eyebrows raised. The brunette leaned back a bit and quickly looked back and forth between the two girls who were staring daggers at her.

"Then do tell us, Diana, why was your friend here half naked in your bed this morning?" Hannah asked, still looking at the fidgeting brunette.

"Ah...yes. Unfortunately, Hannah, I don't know why that was. It was certainly not my doing." The blonde says more confidently. "Akko? Why were you half naked in my bed this morning?" She asks as she sits down at the table once more.

"...Uh...well..." Akko wrings her hands together nervously "I...probably took my jeans...off? Look, I didn't even know I was IN your bed." She finishes quickly.

Hannah had had quite enough. She stood up quickly and put her hands down heavily on the table making the other three girls jump a bit.

"Come on, Diana. You don't really expect us to believe this, do you? I mean..." Hannah turns away and starts walking toward the sink and then swiftly turns around again. "I find out that one of my friends that I've known for basically my whole life is actually gay, and then we find a half naked girl in her bed the next morning? It's a little suspicious. Right Barb?" She looks at Barbara expectantly.

"Ah..." Diana holds her finger up "if we could back up a bit, who...told you that I was gay? I don't remember confirming such a thing." She says narrowing her eyes.

"It was B..." Hannah starts.

"NO!" Barbara puts a hand over Hannah's mouth. "Uh...that's really not important right now."

Akko watches the whole scene in amusement, happy that the attention wasn't on her anymore.

"Indeed, so if there are no other questions, I believe I need to give my guest a ride home." Diana stands up quickly and makes to leave. She grabs the brunette by the arm to stand her up and pulls her forcefully out of the apartment without another word, leaving Hannah and Barbara speechless at the kitchen table.

"Hannah! You can't just tell her that I told you she was..." Barbara stops talking and slaps her forehead. "She tricked us! How does she always throw us off like that?"

"I don't know, Barb. But she's hiding something, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it. And you're going to help me." Hannah's eyes narrow as she taps her pointer finger on her lips.

The short walk to the elevator and the ride down were spent in awkward silence for the blonde and the brunette. When they arrived to the ground level, Diana stepped out of the elevator quickly and Akko had to speed walk to keep up. They walked quickly through the door to the parking garage where Diana retrieved her key fob from her pocket and unlocked the car in the first stall. Akko stopped in her tracks when she saw the car that had responded to the keys that the blonde was holding. She wasn't an expert, but she new that this was very expensive looking car. Diana walked up to the driver's side door and opened it, only pausing when she noticed that the brunette was not following her anymore. She turned around and saw that Akko was still standing by the door they came through.

"Is there a problem, Akko?" Diana's voice echoed through out the garage.

"Ah...ya know...that's a...that's a really nice car." The brunette said, still not moving.

"...Thank you." The blonde waited a moment before continuing. "You know, you have to be inside the car for me to drive you home...in the car." She motioned for Akko to come to the passengers side.

"I might break something if I get in that car."

"Seriously, Akko? Get in the car." Diana runs her hand through her hair, starting to get frustrated.

"I don't have good luck with nice things."

"I think you'll be fine."

"Diana, I really don't think..."

"Damn it, Akko! Please just get in the car!" The blonde shouted at a flustered Akko. Suddenly she saw one of her neighbors had just gotten out of his car a few stalls down. He had frozen in place, staring at Diana in shock at the volume of her voice. She gave him a small forceful smile and a wave before she noticed that Akko had all but run to the car and was now getting inside. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before getting into the drivers seat. She turns on the car and lets it idle for a moment before turning to the brunette. She is sitting very still with her hands clenched together in her lap. The blonde felt a twinge of guilt at the sight.

"I apologize for shouting at you, Akko. This morning has been rather trying." Diana says quietly, looking down at her lap.

"Heh, don't worry about." Akko waves her off and gives her a bright smile for the first time that day. "I've been told that I'm quite the handful. Thanks for taking care of me, by the way."

The blonde nods and smiles at the brunette, and reverses out of her parking spot and exits the parking garage.

"So I'm curious, you really don't remember anything that happened after we left the bar last night?"

"Ah...no. I really don't. I don't usually remember anything after I pass out." Akko rubs the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"Usually? Is this a common occurrence?" Diana raises her eyebrow and looks at the brunette.

"Oh! N-no. I didn't mean it like that." Akko waves her hands in front of her. "Only twice before. And both times I was at the house playing drinking games with Amanda. We get a little too competitive and it doesn't usually end well. But this is the first time I ended up in bed with a beautiful stranger. I mean not that you're a stranger, but..." The brunette brought her hand up and audibly slapped it over her mouth when she realized what she had just said.

Diana turned away from the brunette and chuckled.

"Aww, do you really think I'm beautiful, Akko?" She turned back to Akko with a smirk.

The brunette refused to look at the blonde. She nodded slightly as she looked out her own window hiding the blush that was dusting her cheeks. Diana smiled smugly as she turned back to focus on the road once more. 'So cute' she thought. They sat in silence for a few minutes longer until they reached the house and the car came to a stop in front.

"Diana?" Akko says quietly.

"Yes?"

"What did I do last night? I know you left something out this morning."

"Nothing happened, Akko. Don't worry about it." Diana looked out the front window of the car.

"You're a terrible liar, ya know." The brunette states, raising a brow.

The blonde closed her eyes and sighed.

"You...kissed me. And told me I was cute."

Akko's jaw dropped as she stared at Diana. Silence filled the car once more as the brunette processed the confession. Minutes passed before Akko turned to look forward again.

"So, it wasn't a dream." The brunette whispered, almost inaudibly.

"That's correct. Although, whatever wild dream you were having about me beforehand _was_ a dream, I assure you." Diana smirked once more at Akko.

"..." The brunette looked like she wanted to scream. She stared open mouthed at the blonde, absolutely horrified. Without another word, she opened the door and quickly stepped out, shutting it behind her.

Diana snorted and giggled gleefully when she was alone in the car. 'Maybe that was a little mean' she thought, 'But she is just too fun to tease'. She was pulled from her thoughts as a knock came on her window. She turned to see that it was Akko, so she rolled her window down and looked at the brunette curiously.

"Um...hey there again." Akko says sheepishly.

"...Hello..."

"Do you...uh...I mean...can I…" The brunette closes her eyes tightly "canIhaveyournumber?"

"..." Diana stares at her, confused. "Pardon?"

"I was wondering...if I could have your number." Akko says after a deep breath.

"Oh, right, of course." The blonde smiles shyly.

Akko almost squeals with joy as she gets her phone out. Diana tells her the number slowly as the brunette inputs the information and saves it. Just then another car pulls up in front of Diana's BMW. Amanda proceeds to get out of the passenger seat and freezes when she sees Diana and Akko. The blonde groaned when she saw the grin on red haired girl looking at them. She couldn't deal with Amanda today, not after the morning she has had.

"Why...ah...why don't you text me or something so I have your number as well." Diana noticed that Amanda had started to make her way slowly to the BMW. "It was a pleasure Akko, goodbye."

She drove away quickly before Akko could say anything, but not quickly enough. As she passed, she caught the sight of Amanda doubled over in laughter on the sidewalk. The last thing she saw in her rear view mirror before she was out of sight, was the brunette walking angrily toward the red haired girl, and succeeding in shoving her hard to the ground. Diana smiled a toothy grin and giggled at the scene. 'This girl is something else' she thought as she turned the corner and the house was now out of sight.

"Now now, lady killer. No need for violence." Amanda snickers as she lays on the ground looking up at the enraged brunette.

"We were having a moment, Amanda!" The brunette shouted.

"I'm sure your night was full of moments, am I right?" The red haired winks as she pushes herself to her feet.

"I…uh...might have passed out in the car on the way home...so no." Akko says shamefully.

"You didn't!" Amanda chuckles. "I would've loved to see the look on Diana's face when you...wait, you passed out and she took you home with her anyway?" Her eyes narrow.

"She said we came here first but nobody would answer the door when she knocked. Which is weird because we didn't get here long after everyone else. They must have all passed out pretty quickly." Akko says, shrugging.

Amanda looked at her in confusion. She knew at least two of the girls weren't asleep, because she had been texting them. Constanze was looking for binoculars the red head had borrowed the last time she went hiking. Jasminka asked if she could steal one of Amanda's bags of popcorn because she had run out of her own the last time they had a movie night. It all seemed very suspicious now that she thought of it.

"Right...well, that's unfortunate, I guess." She turns and starts to walk toward the front door and Akko follows.

They enter the house to find the other girls lounging around lazily on couches and chairs, no doubt nursing hangovers from the night before. They all perk up when they see Akko following Amanda in through the door.

"Akko! You're home! How did last night go?" Lotte clasps her hands together in excitement.

"Yes, what happened?" Jasminka shouts from the kitchen.

"Hey hey, I'm here too, ya know. Why isn't anyone asking me how my night went?" Amanda folds her arms and pouts.

"I guess we are all used to your sexual escapades. We just don't care anymore." Sucy drones from the couch.

"Hey! That's...fair. A little harsh, but fair."

"So? Akko? How'd it go?" Lotte tries to get back to the subject at hand.

"I guess I passed out in the car, Diana took me to her apartment and took care of me. That's about it." Akko says, shrugging.

Lotte and Sucy share a quick glance of disappointment, no doubt thinking the night would have ended on a juicier note.

"That's it? Seriously?" Sucy asks, sounding annoyed.

"Well, yeah. I mean, we kissed I guess but..." The brunette rubs her eyes tiredly.

"What?!" Amanda, Lotte and Sucy all shout in unison.

"We...oh. Oh my god. We kissed." Akko slaps her forehead before she starts to pace. "My first kiss was with Diana Cavendish! I kissed Diana Cavendish! What am I...what do I...I'm supposed to..." The brunette begins to breath quickly and heavily as if a panic attack was coming on.

"Hey...whoa..." Amanda grabs Akko by the shoulders and leads her to the couch and sits her next to Lotte while taking the seat on the other side of her. "Calm down, Akko. It's okay, it's just a kiss."

"It's not just a kiss! It's my FIRST kiss! And I barely remember it! She gave me her number and I'm supposed to text her so she'll have my number and now I have no idea what I'm supposed to say!" Akko shouts in a rush before she leans over and puts her head between her knees. "She probably thinks I'm such a joke."

"Uh, well, she gave you her number. Couldn't have been all that bad right?" Amanda asks, trying to make light of the situation.

"Diana's roommates found me half naked in her bed. It was that bad." The brunette groans.

"Half nak...you know what? It doesn't matter." The red haired stops herself. "Don't make this complicated Akko. Just say 'hey, this is Akko'."

"No, she can't just say that!" Lotte exclaims. "Say 'hey Diana, this is Akko. I had a really fun time with you last night'."

"That seems like too much." Sucy deadpans.

Akko retrieves her phone from the pocket of her jacket and stares at it. She turns it on and navigates to Diana's number and quickly flips it off again. She sets it on the table in front of her and starts to bite her thumbnail. The others joined them in the living room and Amanda clicked on the TV. An hour had passed and Akko was still staring at her phone. Amanda and Lotte spared quick worried glances at their friend, not knowing what they could say to improve the situation. They both jumped when the brunette finally broke her silence with a long drawn out sigh.

"I'm going to take a long hot shower. To think this through." Akko stands and walks toward the hallway to her room.

The others watched in silence until she was out of view. Once it was clear that she had gotten her things and entered the bathroom to take her shower, Amanda let out a sigh of her own.

"Okay, am I the only one who thinks she's thinking into this too much? It's literally just a text."

"I think she really likes Diana. She's probably afraid she'll screw it up." Lotte shrugs.

"Oh, please. If Diana had to deal with drunk Akko and still wants her number, I don't think she can screw it up. Cavendish must be a glutton for punishment." Sucy snickers, not looking away from the television screen.

Amanda chuckles softly while returning her gaze to the television as well. Then she glances back down toward the table and notices that Akko had left her phone there. Her eyes widened a bit as she got an idea.

"Lotte..."

"Yeah?"

"What if we helped Akko out, and texted Diana for her." The red head points at the object on the table.

Lotte's eyes followed where Amanda was pointing and let out a gasp.

"Amanda! We can't do that!"

"Sure we can!"

"No, we can't!"

"I'll do it." Sucy snatches the phone off of the table and Lotte makes to get up and take it back, but Amanda held her back.

"Just a simple message and she won't have to worry about it anymore. She'll thank us for it later." The red haired girl says as she struggles to keep Lotte on the couch.

"Yeah, just a simple message." Sucy grins evilly and she types out a message quickly.

"….Uh Sucy? What are you going to say?" Amanda tenses up at the sight of Sucy's grin.

"Kehehe" Sucy finishes the message, presses send, and places the phone back on the table.

Amanda and Lotte give each other horrified looks before they pounce to grab the phone. They open the messages and click on the newly created conversation with Diana. They read the message and both look up wide eyed at Sucy and then back down to the message. Amanda places the phone back on the table and puts her face in her hands before breaking the silence.

"I lied. She's going to fucking kill us."

Diana enters the parking garage and parks in her reserved stall. She glances at her phone which was still void of any new messages. She didn't understand why she felt disappointed seeing that Akko hadn't texted her yet. It hadn't been that long since she left the house, but she was excited at the thought that she'd be able to talk to the brunette more often and get to know this crazy adorable girl that had managed to thrust herself into the blonde's life. She sat there for a moment, not wanting to get out because she knew she left Hannah and Barbara that morning without the answers they where looking for. She knew she should just talk to them honestly about the situation, but she was so new to the whole feelings thing. It made her uncomfortable. She had this reputation to protect, an image to uphold. Abandoning the persona that she worked so hard to build up was terrifying, and she just wasn't prepared for the after math.

She rides the elevator up and gets to her door where she pauses before entering. She rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck a few times like she's going into battle before she turns the handle and walks through into the apartment. Immediately she spots the two girls on the couch staring at their phones, looking extremely bored. Barbara waves happily at Diana when she sees her staring at them, while Hannah looks up briefly with a forced smile and then looking back down at her phone.

"Hello, girls." The blonde says, trying to keep the shakiness out of her voice. She walks over to the couch and sits between them. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. The internet isn't working. We have a few hours to kill before I can stream my show, which is super annoying because it's the finale. Any ideas? We should go somewhere!" Barbara looks at Diana, pleadingly.

"I think I need to relax for a while if that's alright. How about I connect my phone to the television and we can watch your show together?" Diana pulls her phone to set it up.

"Really?!" Barbara squeals in excitement. "You're the best, Diana."

The blonde grins at the compliment and starts streaming. She sits back and glances at Hannah, who has been silent since she arrived. Diana felt a little guilty, but she was content in just sitting here in silence and just taking a break from the craziness of everything. Although what they were watching never really interested her, she was oddly pulled into the drama. Diana and Barbara gasped at certain parts, shouted angrily at the screen in other parts, and Hannah was coming around as she watched the girls in amusement. All three were watching in suspense as the ending was nearing. They were leaning forward with their hands over their mouths and eyes wide.

"This is it!" Barbara whispered excitedly.

"She better not forgive that lowlife." Diana murmurs.

Hannah giggles, still not used to Diana joining them for things like this.

' _Ding ding'_

Diana's message tone sounded out from her phone, and a message popped up on the television screen that was mirroring the blonde's phone screen. The three girls looked on in shock at the message that was displayed.

' _ **Hey baby. Do you have a sunburn? Or are you always as hot as you were last night? ;)'**_

"...uh...Diana?" Barbara looks sideways at her friend.

"..."

"Diana?" Hannah waves her hand in front of the blondes face.

Hannah and Barbara lean to glance at each other behind Diana. She hadn't taken her eyes off of the message on the screen, and they were pretty sure she hadn't blinked.

"Ahem," Barbara cleared her throat "I'm...uh...just going to turn this off." She reaches down to where the blondes phone sits on the table and picks it up. She successfully turns the show off while also getting rid of the message. She starts the process of turning off the connection from the phone to the television when Diana snatches it out of her hand. And types a short message out furiously.

' _ **Who is this?'**_

"I swear if this is Akko, I...I just...I will give her a stern talking to." Diana folds her arms and leans back on the couch, waiting silently for a reply.

"I'd be glad to slap her for you." Hannah replies hopefully.

"Hannah! I think that's a little harsh." Barbara says, reprimanding her friend.

Hannah shrugs as the three girls fall into silence once again staring up at the TV.

Akko's message tone rang throughout the silent living room and made the five girls jump. They had all been sitting around the coffee table transfixed on the phone at the center. The all cringed as they looked toward the hallway where the bathroom was, making sure that the shower had not been turned off yet. Once they figured it was safe, Amanda picked up the phone hesitantly and turned it on. She let out a breath of relief when she saw the message.

"She just asked who it was." The red head pinched the bridge of her nose. "Any ideas?" She looks around the group. "Not you, Sucy." She says as Sucy made to grab the phone out of her hand.

"Buzzkill." The pink haired girl mumbled.

To everyone's surprise, Constanze raised her hand and then pointed to herself excitedly. Amanda shrugs as she tosses the phone over to the short girl. She starts typing a message quickly.

"Okay, this time I think we should all look at it before-" Amanda stopped abruptly as Constanze pressed send and slid the phone back onto the table. "you send it."

Lotte stares at the phone for a moment before she slowly reaches out and takes it. Fearing the worst, she hesitantly turns it on and reads the message that Constanze had typed out. She snorted and giggled before she quickly covered her mouth, passing the phone to Amanda.

"I mean, that's something Akko would surely say." Lotte smiled at Constanze.

Amanda just groans and tosses the phone back to Lotte.

"I hate all of you. She's going to blame me for this." the red head huffs and crosses her arms.

"Technically it was your idea so..." Sucy grins mischievously.

Amanda glares at her and the girls are silent again, watching the phone expectantly.

' _Ding ding'_

The three girls in the apartment hadn't said a word while awaiting the message that had just arrived. The girls perk up at the sound of the message tone and watch as the message pops up on the screen.

' _ **This is the girl you kissed last night. And FYI, your lips do taste as good as they look.'**_

"Hannah, I think I'll allow you to slap Akko now." Diana says through clenched teeth, narrowing her eyes at the television.

"I KNEW IT!" Hannah jumps off the couch triumphantly. "Ahem. I mean, I knew you were leaving something out."

"Is it true Diana?" Barbara grabs Diana's hand excitedly, giving her a bright smile.

"I...yes. I suppose it is." The blonde says with her eyes closed. "This is definitely not the way I intended for you to find out. This must be some kind of joke." She gestures at the message displayed. "I mean, this isn't….flirting...is it?"

"These are cheesy pick up lines, Diana." Hannah says annoyed. She paced back and forth in front of the table. "This girl, I swear if she thinks she can just..." She pauses and her eyes grow wide before turning to the two girls watching her curiously. "If she wants to play this game, let's play."

"W-what?!" Diana says horrified.

"Barbara, we need pick up lines, now."

"Done!" Barbara says, turning on her phone and typing quickly.

"Wait...that's..." The blonde starts.

"Shhh, Diana. I'm trying to think." Hannah starts to pace again holding her chin.

"Got it!" Barbara shouts a little too loudly, making Diana jump beside her.

Hannah walks around the table to Barbara's side and reads the line that highlighted on the phone.

"Perfect!" She says as she grabs Diana's phone off of the table.

"Ladies..." The blonde puts up her hand trying to defuse the situation.

"And done! She's forgetting who she's messing with. She will not come out the victor in this battle." Hannah puts the phone down and rubs her hands together, smiling evilly.

Diana opens and closes her mouth a few times, in complete shock at how this was playing out. She turned her gaze to the television, just remembering that the message would be displayed there. When she read it, she turned pale and begin feeling dizzy. She brought her knees up to her chest and laid her head down between them, taking deep breaths and rocking back and forth. This was not going to end well.

' _Ding ding ding ding'_

Akko's phone vibrated once on the table in front of Amanda and Lotte. No one moved to pick it up as they sat there silently looking at each other.

"You're all lame." Sucy droned as she leaned over to pick up the phone. She turns it on and reads the message. Her visible eye shot open wide and her jaw dropped. The other girls leaned on and stared at her in anticipation. "Well that was unexpected."

"What did she say?!" Lotte shouted.

"Kehehehe" Was all Sucy said before tossing the phone over. "Read it out loud Lotte, kind of sounds like something out of your Nightfall books."

Lotte looked at her in confusion as she turned the phone right side up to read what was on the screen.

' _ **Maybe next time I'll kiss you in the rain so you get twice as wet...'**_

Her face instantly burned red and she let out a gasp.

"Damn it, just give it to me." Amanda ripped the phone out of Lotte's hand and looked for herself. "Holy shit! I didn't think Cavendish had it in her!" She laughed loudly before passing it to the others.

They all snickered quietly at how red Lotte and Jasminka had gotten when reading the message, they had failed to hear someone walking up behind them.

"What ya doin'?"

"Agh!" Amanda almost fell face first onto the floor as she jumped from the voice directly behind her. "Jesus Christ, Akko. You scared the shit out of me." She breaths heavily with her hand to her chest.

"Ha...sorry Amanda. So I've finally decided how I'm...hey, where did my phone go?"

The five girls glance around at each other silently, and unbeknownst to any of the others, Jasminka, sitting on the floor, quickly finished typing out a message and stuffed the phone between her thigh and the carpet.

' _Ding ding'_

Diana lifts her head slightly so she can read the message.

' _ **There's other ways to get me twice as wet...if you know what I mean...'**_

She lets out horrified gasp as her face turns a deep shade of red, and the other two girls laugh loudly, doubling over.

"Oh...my...god..." Hannah shouts with her hand covering her mouth.

"We need something good to follow that one-" Barbara starts.

"NO! That's enough!" The blonde screams as she covers her face with her hands.

"Aww...just one more Diana." Hannah pouts.

"I'm not...this is..." The blonde sputters "this is all…inappropriate. Honestly, I barely know her!"

"You kissed her, Diana." Barbara says flatly.

"SHE...KISSED...ME!" Diana shouts as she stands up and starts to pace. "And just because I kissed her and might...like her...and think she has an amazing body…and...uh..." She pauses as she tries to remember why she started saying these things. "It doesn't mean I want to…um...ya know."

Hannah and Barbara smirk at each other at the sight of their flustered friend and then nod in silent agreement.

"Want to what, exactly?" Barbara asks, cocking her head to the side and faking confusion.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Barbara." Diana narrows her eyes.

"I'm afraid we don't, Diana." Hannah says innocently.

"It doesn't mean I want to have sex with her!" She says it so quickly that the other two girls barely understand the words coming out of her mouth. She turns away from them and crosses her arms.

"Ooooh. I see. So you don't want to have sex with her?" Barbara asks.

"..."

"So...you dooo?" Hannah leans to the side trying to see the blondes face.

Diana stiffens up at the question but stays silent. Does she? She had no idea how to even figure that out, to figure out any of these feelings. These texts really threw a wrench into things. Was it all a joke? It was true, she barely knew Akko, but considering how freaked out she was that morning about how they might have had sex, this just didn't seem to fit. It didn't seem right.

"I...don't know." She finally breaks the silence. "I wouldn't even know where to begin, to be honest."

"So you're a vir-" Barbara starts to ask.

"Yes." The blonde says quickly. "Yes, I am. I...uh...that doesn't matter at the moment. I need to get to the bottom of this." She grabs her phone and finally disconnects the pairing to the TV.

"What are you going to do?" Hannah asks.

Diana finds Akko's number and hits the call button and puts it to her ear.

"Seriously guys, I left it right here on the table!" Akko walks around the living room trying to find her phone.

The others sat in silence watching television again, sometimes pretending to help her look around. After a few minutes, Akko sunk onto the couch between Amanda and Lotte, twisting her face in contemplation.

"I swear I-"

' _Ring ring ring'_

The brunette stopped talking when she heard her ringtone somewhere in the room. Amanda, Lotte, Sucy and Constanze looked at Jasminka in horror.

' _Ring ring ring'_

Akko stood up, following the sound of the ringing. As it rang out again, she stopped in front of Jasminka, who shifted nervously. When the brunette raised an eyebrow at her, she grabbed the phone out from under her leg.

"Oh, I must have sat on it by accident." Jasminka looks at the phone briefly and saw that it was Diana who was calling. She tossed the phone into Amanda's lap, who looked at the phone and took in a sharp breath.

"Hey! Give me that!" Akko walked quickly over to Amanda's side and grabbed the phone out of her hands. The ringing stopped and registered in her phone as a missed call.

The five girls let out long breaths of relief.

"Huh, why is Diana calling...wait, how does she..." Akko looks down in confusion.

' _Ring ring ring'_

"God damn it. Run everybody!" Amanda jumps off of the couch and heads for the door.

"Heh." Lotte nervousy laughs before getting up and quickly followed Amanda out the door.

Jasminka and Constanze follow without looking at Akko, and Sucy cackled the whole way to the door and shut it behind her. The brunette was left staring after them with her eyebrows raised and her mouth open.

"What was..."

' _Ring ring ring'_

"Oh." She looks down again at the phone, it showed that Diana was calling again. She pushed the green icon to answer.

"Hello?"

" _...Akko?"_

"Oh hey...Diana."

" _Akko, please explain yourself."_

Akko froze. She took the phone away from her face to look at it briefly before returning it back to her ear.

"W-what? How did you get my number, Diana?"

" _You texted me. And I would really like an explanation about what you said."_

"Uh...no. I didn't. I literally haven't touch my phone for the past hour and a half!"

" _Then who…? Akko, was Amanda near your phone?"_

"Yeah, she was actually. How'd you know?"

The brunette heard a long sigh from the blonde on the other end.

"Diana?"

" _That...makes sense."_

"What makes sense?"

" _Just...read your messages. And then please...delete them. All of them. Goodbye, Akko."_

There came a click on the other side of the line as Diana had ended the call. Akko stared at her phone in confusion for a moment before opening her messages. She read each one, her face becoming more red by the second. Her grip on the phone was tightening as her knuckles became white. When she finished reading the incriminating evidence, she ran to the door and threw it open. Akko barreled through the doorway and ran across the lawn toward Amanda's car where the five girls where panicking, trying to get their seat belts on. The red head looked over and saw the ball of rage heading toward her.

"O'Neil! I'm going to kill you!"

"Shit shit shit shit!" Amanda put the car in reverse and backed quickly out of the driveway. She stopped and shifted into drive before yelling out the window and driving away simultaneously. "SORRY!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _Ghost From The Past_

"Alright girls, we are going to switch it up today and scrimmage for the duration of practice. A little Friday fun!" Ursula stood in front of the in the middle of the hockey field with the team surrounding her. "Akko and Amanda will be our captains."

As Ursula read off the names of each team, Amanda chanced a glance at Akko who was grinning evilly at her. The red head swallowed dryly and turned back to their coach. Akko hadn't fully forgiven her for the events that transpired the past weekend and although the brunette was usually never a dirty player, she was an expert at getting away with things if she felt the need. And Amanda had no doubt that Akko felt the need to play dirty today, and she was terrified.

The girls split up into their respective teams and met in groups on either side of the field to hatch a game plan and assign positions. After a few minutes, each team separated and took their positions on the field. Akko and Amanda were facing off against each other at center forward. The brunette never took her eyes off of the red head as they took their place at center field. Coach Ursula joined them and motioned for them to come close.

"Amanda will call it." She says as she takes a coin out of her pocket and flips it up into the air.

"Heads." The red head says as she watches the coin fall down and hit the ground.

Amanda, Akko and Ursula lean down to inspect the coin.

"It's heads. Amanda's team gets possession first." Ursula shouts. "I'm the only referee you're going to have today so I want a nice clean game, am I understood?" Most of the girls nod so she continues. "On my whistle!"

Ursula backs up, positioning herself out of the way. Amanda approaches the ball with her stick and takes one last look at Akko before the scrimmage starts. The brunette had her game face on, glaring at the redhead while moving her head side to side cracking her neck. And then one side of her mouth quirked up.

"Good luck O'Neil. You're going to need it." Akko sneers, bending slightly into her ready position.

"Heh...yeah right." Amanda's voice cracks slightly as she looks behind her to make sure her team was ready.

The whistle sounded and Amanda quickly passes the ball backward to her teammate on her left. She turns around to spot any openings in the defense, but her view is filled with a brunette running as fast as she can, directly aimed at the red head. To Amanda it all happened in slow motion, yet she had barely any time to react. In the few seconds it took the brunette to reach her, she thought about running away but she knew she wouldn't get very far. All she could do was defend herself from the ball of rage blazing toward her. Amanda brought up her hockey stick and held it in front of her like a barrier, not that it would do much good, but it was all that she had. Akko was only a few paces away now and...was she growling? A growl that sounded much like a warrior who was ready to strike. 'Ohgodohgod!' was Amanda's last thought before she closed her eyes and tensed up.

"Eek!" She let out an uncharacteristically loud high pitch squeak in anticipation of contact, but no such thing came. She opened her eyes and looked behind her. She noticed her own team stood in shock at the sound that had come out of her, and Akko, who had intercepted the ball, was now almost to the goal with no defenders in front of her except for Jasminka, the goal keeper. But the brunette was just too good, and she faked the goal keeper out and scored with ease. Akko's team cheered as the brunette ran happily back to midfield where Amanda still stood. The brunette slowed her pace and sauntered up to the red head with a smirk glued in place.

"What the hell was that, Akko?" Amanda asked angrily as she quickly closed the distance and came face to face with the brunette.

"That was you being a little bi-" Akko jabbed her finger into the red head's chest but was cut off by the sound of Ursula's whistle.

"Girls! Break it up!" Their coach slid herself in between them and pushed them apart. "No more. I don't know what's going on but if you can't be civil on my field, I will remove you from it." As she finished, the rest of the girls on the field gathered in closer to see the drama unfold.

Akko and Amanda glared at each other for a moment more before their features softened. They nodded in unison at their coach.

"I guess we're even now." The brunette put her hand out for Amanda to shake, and she did. But Akko clamped her hand around the red head's and pulled her in close. "But if you or anyone else touches my phone again, your ass will be on the grass."

The two girls once again stared at each other in silence for a few moments before they broke out in laughter simultaneously. Ursula, who had been watching the whole scene, looked thoroughly confused at the outcome. She opened and closed her mouth a few times in disbelief before closing her eyes and sighing. She blew her whistle to get the attention of all the occupants of the field.

"Alright alright. Let's continue. Sides!" She gestures for the girls to get into position once more.

The match continued lightheartedly after that, although Akko and Amanda's competitive nature resulted in a few fouls and an eventual scolding from their coach. But after practice, the two girls would become best friends once more, like always. After giving everyone high fives for a game well played, Akko and Amanda walked over to there bags and equipment resting on the bleachers.

"So, Akko." Amanda hesitantly starts. "Have you...uh...talked to Diana?"

The brunette acts like she doesn't hear her at first, but then sighs and shakes her head no.

"Oh come on, it's been a week. How many times have you typed out messages and refused to hit send?"

"A few..." Akko mumbles.

"All you have to do is-"

"Amanda! Just...just let it go for now okay? I'm just not ready." The brunette raises her voice while she shoves her things in her bag.

"I thought you liked her..." The red head says questioningly.

"I...do. I really...do. Things just happened so quickly last weekend and I just...I feel so...stupid for feeling like this. Why would she…ugh." Akko pauses for a few moments. "Do you know what day tomorrow is?"

"Um..." Amanda bobs her head as she thinks. "May 11th?"

Akko looks at her solemnly and nods before sitting down to change out of her hockey shoes into her running shoes. Amanda furrows her brow trying to put the vague puzzle pieces together. What is May 11th? A birthday? No. Something significant to Akko, but what...oh. May 11th was by far the worst day of the year for the brunette, and Amanda felt like a terrible friend for not remembering. After coming out to her, Akko had told Amanda about her first love, how it ended before it ever began. This date was a yearly reminder of that, and the red head now thinks she understands why Akko was having such a hard time with this, and why she had been in such a sour mood for the past week.

"Oh, right. I'm...sorry, Akko." The red head sits down next to Akko and pats her on the back softly. "Is...is that why you haven't talked to her?"

"Kind of? Look, I can't...no, I won't let myself...I-I'm scared, Amanda. I'm scared of getting too close. Or too attached." The brunette's voice cracks slightly, obviously trying to hold back the oncoming tears. "I have some things to take care of. I'll see you later okay?" Akko stands up and walks away quickly, not allowing any time for Amanda to respond.

The red head sighs and rubs her eyes tiredly. Jasminka passes by her, gesturing for Amanda to follow her to the car so they can go home. She stands up and glances over in time to see Akko mount her bike and start to ride toward the other side of campus.

########################################

Diana and Barbara sat silently in the cushioned seats in one of the many instrumental practice rooms located at the Luna Nova Music Hall. Hannah stood in front of them, violin in hand, playing a piece that she had been working on for an upcoming orchestra audition. She had been classically trained and was a shoo-in for the open position but being the perfectionist that she is, she had asked her friends to listen to it, and give their input on the completed piece. When she was finished and brought the violin away from her shoulder, the two spectators clapped vigorously.

"That was beautiful, Hannah." Diana says warmly to her friend.

"It was spectacular! You are going to kill it at auditions!" Barbara skips up to Hannah and wraps her in a crushing embrace.

"Th-thank you, ladies!" Hannah says breathlessly as she holds her violin safely to the side as to not let it be crushed by Barbara's enthusiastic show of affection. "I'll get my things and we can go." She is released and walks to the corner where her violin case sits.

Diana follows the other two to the door as she mindlessly pulls out her phone to check it for what seemed to be the millionth time that week. If her friends have noticed the disappointment on her face every time she sees no message on her phone, they chose not to say anything, thankfully. She knew this wasn't rational behavior and wouldn't take kindly to being pitied by her friends. But she really couldn't help herself. Something about Akko had intrigued her, had completely shattered her walls that the blonde had worked so hard to build around her heart in just the span of a few days. But now, she felt very unsure of herself, as well as needy and pathetic. She caught herself looking for Akko in the crowds of students on campus and even went as far as driving past the hockey field on a few separate occasions, trying to spot the brunette while the team practiced. She thought about stopping to say hello but could never muster up the courage. So here she is now, waiting for a message that may never come.

After putting her phone away, she looked up and saw that Hannah and Barbara had been staring at her questioningly while she was lost in her thoughts.

"Oh, my apologies girls. Ahem. Shall we?" She gestures to the door.

Her friends nod silently, shooting her sympathetic looks before turning around and heading out of the room. Diana follows and they walk slowly through the silent halls of the music hall. Hannah and Barbara talk in low voices about their day, when suddenly the blonde hears a haunting melody flow out through a closed door they were approaching. Diana slows to a stop at the door and glances into the small window and sees a familiar figure sitting at a sleek black grand piano in the far corner of the large room. The brunette's head was lowered and her shoulders were hunched over, matching the feeling of the beautifully saddening song. The blonde was entranced as she unconsciously reached for the door handle, turned it and slowly pushed the door open. If Akko had heard Diana enter the room, she gave no indication, so the blonde walked slowly toward the piano, then suddenly froze in place upon hearing a quiet sob come from the brunette.

"Akko?" Diana asks shakily.

Akko stopped playing immediately and jumped, jerking her head around toward the sound of the soft voice. When she realized it was the blonde, she quickly brought her hands up to her eyes to wipe away the tears that had formed and cleared her throat, trying to calm herself down.

"Diana! What are you..doing here?" She turns away and grimaces when her raspy voice cracks.

"I heard your song. It was beautiful, but also so...sad." The blonde says softly, moving tentatively toward the brunette. "Is there something wrong, Akko?"

"Ah...ahem. No, no...uh...nothing you need to worry about." Akko sniffles and clears away another tear with the back of her hand.

Diana sits down next to the brunette on the bench and puts her hand on her back.

"Akko, you can talk to me if you'd like. Obviously something is amiss." She rubs what she hopes to be soothing circles onto Akko's back, trying to help in any way she can.

The brunette looks over at Diana through blurry, red eyes. Silently searching for something unknown in those beautiful pools of cerulean. She found it very hard to concentrate while staring at those blue eyes, almost forgetting her problems. But even so, she was still a complete and utter emotional mess.

"I like you, Diana." Akko whispers, but to the blonde's surprise, the brunette's face contorted as if she was in pain.

"Akko, I like you t-"

Diana's confession was cut off by Akko lunging forward and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. But before the blonde could react, the brunette leaned away quickly with wide eyes and mouth agape.

"I'm...so...sorry." Akko chokes out.

"You don't need to be sorry. Why..." Diana reaches out for Akko's fidgeting hand.

Akko immediately pulls away at the contact and stands up quickly, surprising the blonde. Without another word, the brunette makes a beeline for the door. When she reaches the handle, she pauses when she hears Diana's voice.

"Akko! Wait..." She stands up from the bench.

"I'm so sorry, Diana. I...can't do this. Not now."

Akko quickly throws open the door, tears begin streaming down her face again. She was in such a hurry that she walked right past Hannah and Barbara, who had previously been eavesdropping on their friend, without noticing them. The two girls watched Akko leave in confusion and then looked back through the window on the door to see Diana still standing there in shock and confusion. Hannah and Barbara looked at each other with concern in their eyes when suddenly the door opened and the blonde walked through. She was surprised to see her friends still waiting outside.

"Oh! I didn't think you would wait for me. I apologize for taking so long." She walks past them hurriedly with absolutely no emotion on her face.

Hannah and Barbara sigh in unison. This is the Diana they were used to seeing, cold and unemotional. Disturbingly so, after what they had just witnessed through the window. Her whole life, she was trained to keep her emotions in check like this, so it wasn't surprising how well and how quickly she had put that cold mask back on. 'It was fun while it lasted' they thought.

When the two girls arrived back at the apartment, Diana's car was already parked in her stall but she wasn't in it. So they rode the elevator up and walked in through the door to find the main living space empty. Barbara passed through into the hallway to their bedrooms, stopping just outside the blonde's room. She put her ear to the door and listened closely but heard no sound on the other side. The black haired girl brought her hand up in a fist, ready to knock, before she paused. She lowered her hand after a moment of deliberation, thinking that the heiress just needed some space for a while. Honestly she had no idea what she would even say because even if the three of them had been good friends for a long time, Diana had never been truly open with them about anything. She never asked for help, nor let anyone help her with any hardship she had in her life. Making the decision to let her friend be, Barbara turned and walked back out find Hannah, who was sitting on the couch hugging her knees to her chest and looking distraught.

"What do we do Barbs?" Hannah asks laying her head on her knees.

"I...I'm not sure, Hannah." Barbara sits down and lays her head against Hannah's shoulder. "I'm not sure."

########################################

Saturday morning came and Amanda was woken up suddenly by a frantic pounding at the front door.

"What the..." She rubs the sleep from her eyes and groans as she rolls out of bed. The pounding came again and she slowly walked into the living area. "Stop, stop! Some people are trying to sleep ya know!" She yells before she opens the front door forcefully so see who's ass she was going to have to kick. But she was taken by surprise by the three people standing on her front porch. "Ah shit."

Hannah and Barbara were standing closest to the door with, what Amanda thought, were permanent glares on their faces. Diana was standing directly centered behind them with her arms crossed, calm and collected as ever.

"You do know it's ten o'clock right?" Hannah asked annoyed before her eyes flicked down and realized what Amanda was wearing, or not wearing for that matter. She was wearing nothing but a bra and panties, and the sight made her blush furiously. "Why...why don't you have any clothes on?!"

"Perceptive." The red head mumbles flatly, rolling her eyes. Then she grins and leans against the door frame. "Maybe I was hoping to impress you with my amazing physique." She then leans in close to Hannah and winks. "Is it working?"

"…" Hannah is speechless at the bold advance by the red head. She takes a step back without breaking eye contact.

Amanda chuckles before turning to the other two girls who were watching the scene. Diana was pinching the bridge of her nose as to be expected, it seemed like a trademark move for her, especially around the red head. Barbara was trying and failing to suppress a grin at the sight of her flustered friend.

"So what's this about spice girls? If we can hurry this along I'd appreciate it. I need some coffee." Amanda folds her arms and huffs.

"Spice girls? Really?" Barbara raises an annoyed eyebrow.

"Uh...yeah. Really. I'm mean, you're all English for starters, and you got ginger spice..." She points at Hannah, "posh spice..." she points at Barbara, and then pauses when she turns to point at Diana, seeing the death stare pointed directly at her. "And...scary spice."

"Why you little..." Hannah balls her fist and takes a step toward the red head.

"Enough!" Diana shouts, speaking for the first time. The Hannah and Barbara both wince at their friends tone, but Amanda only raises her eyebrows in mild shock. "I need to speak with Akko."

"Akko isn't...home at the moment."

Diana narrowed her eyes at the red heads hesitant statement.

"Okay." Diana says simply, turning to walk away.

"No you don't!" Barbara grabs onto the blondes arm and spun her back around. "You promised."

"So when will she be home? We can wait." Hannah folds her arms stubbornly.

"She...I'm pretty sure she will be gone all day." Amanda shrugs.

"I see. Then I must speak with you, O'Neill. Preferably in private." Diana lets out a long sigh.

"Oh, okay. Sure." Amanda didn't dare to decline the icy request, so she moved to the side to allow the girls entry into her home. "You can...uh...sit on the couch, or whatever." She says to Hannah and Barbara before walking away while Diana follows.

Amanda leads the blonde to her room and shuts the door behind them. She walks to her closet and disappears while Diana stands by the door, looking around curiously. The only way she could describe the room was pure chaos. There was no rhyme or reason to the way the walls were decorated. Diana walked further into the room when she noticed pictures of the red head and others covered the wall in front of her desk. She immediately spotted a few familiar faces, but only one she was interested in. It was a picture of a younger Amanda and Akko in different uniforms but each with an arm draped across the other's shoulders. The brunette had a medal around her neck and was absolutely beaming with joy, while Amanda had her usual happy grin. Diana smiled at the sweet picture, before remembering why she was here, and the odd interaction with the brunette the day before.

"So, what would you like to talk about, princess?" The red head exited her closet in shorts and a t-shirt and closed it before looking at Diana who noticeably rolled her eyes at the name.

"I wanted to discuss the...odd interaction I had with Akko yesterday. I had hoped to talk to her, but I assume you know what's going on. I'm...worried, about her." Diana had hoped she had fooled Amanda in to thinking that this was completely about Akko's well being, and not her selfish reasons of wanting an explanation about why the brunette kissed her and left so suddenly the day before.

"Oh! So she talked to you?" Amanda raised her eyebrow curiously.

"She didn't tell you?"

"No, um...she hasn't been in a very good mood lately. I did talk to her a little bit last night but she didn't mention speaking to you. I wonder why..." The red head tapped her chin with her pointer finger, looking thoughtful.

"I...walked in on her crying in a classroom in the music hall yesterday. And, well, our conversation didn't go as well as I had hoped." Diana looks down at the floor before speaking again. "What's going on with her, Amanda?" She asks softly.

Amanda looks contemplating at her for a moment before a letting out a long sigh. She gestures for the blonde to sit in the chair in front of the desk and she herself sits down on the bed.

"I can't tell you much about it, it's not really my place. But I can tell you where she is, if you'd like to go talk to her yourself."

"I...right. Okay." Diana nods.

"She's visiting an old friend...at a...a cemetery." Amanda grimaces a little at how awkward that sounded. She's not good at emotional things. She doesn't do emotions. Never.

Diana's heart sinks at the statement. Any thoughts or emotions she had previously were now gone and were replaced with heartbreak and sadness. She knew all too well about visiting loved ones who have passed and all she wanted to do was hold and comfort her new friend.

"Who?" Was all the blonde could get out.

Amanda shook her head as she walked toward Diana to the desk and ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook.

"This is the name of the cemetery. You can find her there." She shoved the piece of paper into Diana's hand. "Now out."

The red head grabs the blonde by the arm and drags her out of her room and into the main living area. They found Hannah and Barbara still sitting on the couch where they left them, but they were joined by Lotte, Sucy, Jasmika and Constanze. They were sitting around the room awkwardly staring at each other in silence. When the two girls noticed that Diana was with them again, they stood up immediately and rushed over to her side.

"Girls, I need to go. I'm sorry." The blonde takes a step back. "I trust Amanda can get you home?" She turns and heads for the door without waiting for a response.

"Wha...huh?" Amanda's eyes grow wide as she looks from Diana to the two girls, and then back again.

"Thank you so much Amanda." Diana says as she disappears out the front door.

Hannah and Barbara were left standing there with their arms raised as if they were going to argue with the blonde, but no sound came out of their mouths. They slowly turned their heads toward the red head who just stood there awkwardly.

"Heh. So...uh...you want some coffee? Or..."

"Oh my god! Is that nightfall?" Barbara shrieked as Lotte pulled the book from a shelf close to her chair. She excitedly walked over to the other side of the room. "Lotte, right?"

"Ugh..." Amanda and Hannah heard each other groan at the same time and then looked at each other quickly in surprise. The red head chuckled nervously and turned away.

"I need coffee. Want any?" Amanda turned back with her brow raised.

"Um...yeah. Sure. Thank you." Hannah smiled shyly as she followed the red head to the kitchen.

"What in the hell just happened here?" Sucy asks Constanze and Jasminka in disbelief.

The two girls just shrug disinterestedly. Sucy just shakes her head and sighs as she grabs the remote to the television, mumbling curses under her breath.

Diana found the address to the cemetery and plugged it in to the GPS in her car before she pulled away from the house. It would be a long drive as the GPS estimated it to be about an hour or so. But luckily it didn't seem that long due to so many things running through her head. She internally struggled, wondering if this was the right thing to do or if she should just give Akko space. She couldn't understand why she felt so protective of the brunette. Maybe because this is something they had in common, that she wanted to comfort her like she would have liked someone to when she was a child and lost her mother. She wanted to be there for her.

Before she knew it, she was turning down the old, well maintained road into Arcturus Cemetery. She drove slowly, looked from left to right, trying to spot Akko, although it was hard to see much of anything through the trees lining each side of the road. After a few minutes, the road widened and more of the cemetery came into view which allowed her to finally see Akko a good distance away from the road, sitting on the ground cross legged in front of a headstone. Diana pulled her car off to the side of the road and sat for a few moments, gathering up the courage to get out. After a few moments of deep breathing, she exited the vehicle and made her way over to where the brunette sat. There was no movement out of Akko when Diana stopped and stood beside her but the brunette broke the silence before the blonde could say anything.

"You can sit if you want, Diana."

"How did you know it was me?" Diana asked, surprised as she slowly sat down.

"You were wearing those boots the first time I ever saw you. And your perfume is, well, unmistakable."

Diana blushed a bit at that as she looked away.

"And Amanda texted me and told me you were coming." For the first time, Akko looked over and gave Diana a small smile, but her eyes didn't have that usual sparkle, they were sad.

"I figured she might." The blonde smiled back, then turned away to inspect the headstone they sat in front of. It was made of what looked like beautiful black marble with ornate flower carvings around the edges. A statue of an angel stood next to it, one of it's hands place on top. She then read the white text that was engraved into the marble, and although she didn't think it was possible, her heart dropped even lower when saw how young this girl had been when she died, seventeen years old. After several minutes of silence, Diana had to find out who this young girl was.

"Akko, if I may ask, who is Olivia Evans?"

The brunette, who had been sitting cross legged, brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly as she continued to stare blankly at the headstone. At first, Diana thought she wasn't going to answer and immediately regretted asking. But just when the blonde was about to apologize, Akko broke her silence.

"Olivia was my best friend." Her voice shook and cracked as she tried to stop her tears from leaking out. "My family moved here from Japan when I was ten, and I was having a hard time adjusting. Olivia was my first friend here, and I stuck to her like glue after that. She didn't seem to mind though." Akko smiles softly at the memories, still looking at the black marble in front of her. "She's the one who introduced me to hockey. We were teammates up until..." Her smile disappeared and she closed her eyes, a single teardrop rolled down her cheek. "We were supposed to come to Luna Nova together. We were a package deal, me and her."

"How did she…?" Diana trailed off before she finished. Unsure about asking anything that might make the girl even more sad than she already was, if that was possible.

"Car accident." She said simply before continuing. "Her parents gave her a car for her birthday. She was so excited that she showed up out of the blue at my house that night to pick me up just so she could...drive. Just me and her, it was...perfect." Again a small sad smile crept onto her features at the memory.

Diana got the distinct feeling from the way that she described it, that this girl meant more to Akko than just a friend. She brought her own knees up to her chest at this point, trying to keep herself from instantly reaching out to pull the somber girl into a hug.

"Somebody ran a red light and t-boned the car...on the driver's side." The brunettes voice again began to crack. "She di...she passed away on impact. I was knocked out and woke up in the hospital with a few bumps and bruises. And well...yeah." She says bitterly before she takes a few deep breaths and went silent again, still avoiding eye contact with the blonde.

"And the song..." Diana whispered, struggling to complete any sentences as she tried to hold back tears.

Akko was silent for a few moments before bringing her hand up to wipe away some stray tears and letting out a whimper.

"I...uh...I had been writing song for her, and was going to play it for her if...if I ever got the courage to..." The brunette pauses momentarily, glancing quickly at Diana and then back to the headstone. "I was almost finished before the accident. When I got home from the hospital I...I rewrote the song and played it at her funeral. I was in a very dark place, I didn't eat or sleep...all I thought about was her. How I would never see her again, or hear her voice ever again. My parents were so worried." She finished shaking her head in guilt.

"Akko, I..." The blonde started as she let a few tears escape. "I'm so sorry. It sounds like you cared about her very deeply." She chose her words very carefully, not making any implications.

The brunette snorted and laughed bitterly at Diana's statement.

"You could say that." She turned to look sadly at Diana. "I loved her." Akko said, barely louder than a whisper. "I never got to tell her. And I regret it every day."

Diana's breath hitched as her words sank in. She had figured as much, but hearing it come out of Akko's mouth just about broke her heart. All of this was too much. She didn't know what to do or say, she was completely lost as to how to help this broken girl sitting next to her. Should she hug her? Hold her hand? Pat her on the back? She was terrible at this. But as if the brunette knew Diana's inner turmoil, she shifted her body closer and laid her head on the blonde's shoulder. Diana stiffened at the sudden contact, but soon relaxed and leaned her cheek against the top of Akko's head.

"You remind me of her." Akko says, sounding sleepy now with her eyes closed.

"Oh?" Diana shifted, not knowing if she felt entirely comfortable with that.

"Mmhmm."

Akko didn't elaborate and they both fell into a comfortable silence for a while more, happy to just be there with each other. The sun started to set, surprising the two girls at how long they had been sitting there. After standing up and brushing off, Akko took Diana's hand in hers and smiled warmly.

"Thanks so much for coming to keep me company today. After yesterday, I thought I wouldn't..hear from you for while." Akko looks at the ground, trying to hide the guilt.

"Don't worry about it, Akko." The blonde squeezes the brunette's hand reassuringly. "But the next time you kiss me, I'd appreciate it if you didn't disappear again. You seem to have a habit of that." She smirks at the brunette.

"...uh...I didn't mean to...I just..." Akko sputters while turn shade after shade of red.

"It's fine, Akko." Diana chuckles as she starts walking toward her car. Noticing there were any other cars close by, and remembering that Akko didn't have a car, a thought occurred to her. "How did you get here?"

"I took a bus."

"Seriously?" Diana raises an eyebrow.

"I didn't want to inconvenience anyone. And I don't mind, really." Akko says shrugging.

"Well I'm driving you home. Get in." Diana instructs as they reach her car. She opens her door and looks back at Akko who is hesitating again. But before she could say anything, the brunette walked as quickly as she could to the passenger's side and gets in. The blonde chuckles, remembering the last time she had to convince Akko to get into her car, before she got in and turned the engine on.

The long drive home was mostly silent. Akko had fallen asleep at one point and Diana couldn't help but glance over at her adorable sleeping face every once in a while. Finally they had arrived back at Akko's house. To Diana's relief, Akko woke up immediately when the blonde shook her shoulder lightly.

"Good, you woke up. I didn't want you not waking up to become a trend as well." Diana giggles.

Akko puffed her cheeks out in a pout and crossed her arms, but couldn't keep up the facade as she let out a giggle of her own.

"I'm glad to see your teasing hasn't ceased." The brunette slaps Diana's shoulder lightly. Turning back to the house, she notices that all the lights are off. Then she glances to the driveway and notices that all of the cars are still there. "Huh, that's weird."

"What?" Diana's leans over, placing her hand on Akko's thigh, looking out the passenger side window.

"A-all the lights are o-off." Akko's breath hitches at the feeling of the hand on her thigh and the burning that must show on her face.

"Oh god. Not again." The blonde whispers.

"H-huh?" The brunette looks at her in confusion.

"Oh. Uh...nothing. Hey, are you okay? You're sweating."

Akko glances down at her hand, still occupying the area of the brunettes upper thigh and then back to her, hoping she would get the point. The blonde looks down at where her hand is placed.

"Oh...oh I see." Diana trains her eyes on her hand and smiles slyly without moving it. She turns and leans in close to Akko's ear, brushing her lips against it ever so slightly as she spoke. "Is this making you uncomfortable, Akko?" She says in the most seductive voice she could muster while gently squeezing the brunette thigh.

"Ah!" Akko jerks her leg and turns her head away, finding it impossible to lean her body away any farther because of the door. "N-no. I uh...it's...f-fine." She says in an octave higher than usual. She then closes her eyes tightly as she hears Diana chuckle huskily, smiling against her ear. A feeling of warmth flooded her entire body as she bit her lip, trying to force herself to calm down. Flashes of the all too familiar dreams she has had about Diana crept into her mind as she turned deeper shade of red.

Diana pulls away slightly and kisses Akko sweetly on the cheek before sitting back normally in her seat. Akko was still frozen leaning into the door and breathing heavily for a long moment. She relaxes slightly as she readjusts herself back into the center of the seat, all the while, still averting Diana's gaze. Her hands fidgeted nervously in her lap and her eyes turned to look at the house once more.

"Uh...do you, want to come in? And hang out? Or...whatever..." Akko asks hesitantly.

"Yes!" Diana says a little too quickly and loudly. "I mean, I'd love to...hang out...with you."

Luckily for both girls, the darkness was cover enough to hide the deep shades of red that had crept onto their faces. Akko clears her throat and smiles shyly at Diana before opening her door and getting out, the blonde follows and walks behind the brunette as they make their way to the front door. Just then, they heard a blood curdling scream from inside the house. The two girls stare at the door in horror.

"What the hell?" Akko breaths out, digging in her pockets to find her new key.

Diana stood still and wide eyed, glancing between the brunette and the door. Finally Akko pulled her key out and fumbled, trying to fit it into the lock. After a few attempts, she was successful and threw the door open. Although it was very dark, the girls could see that the house was completely destroyed. Tables and chairs were knocked over and their furniture was out of place. Diana instinctively grabbed onto Akko's arm when they heard muffled voices, seeming to be coming from the basement.

"Akko, what's going on?" The blonde whispered frantically.

"Shhh..." Akko put a finger up to her lips.

They listened intently, trying to decipher the voices from below.

" _We're going to find your friend, shorty."_

" _You might as well tell us where she is."_

" _She'll never talk!"_

" _She will if she knows what's good for her, spectacles."_

" _NOOOOOOOO! You shot her! You monster!"_

" _There you are red!"_

" _I knew we could lure you out!"_

' _Crash!'_

' _Thump thump thump thump'_

"Somebody's coming up the stairs!" Akko squeaked.

"Akko, what do we…?" Diana was interrupted by the brunette grabbing her and placing themselves out of sight behind a wall. They peeked around the corner to see a figure running from the hallway toward the opposite side of the room. They had a brightly lit circle on their chest and a gun flailing through the air.

"Shit shit shit shit shit..." The figured said to themselves as they zigzagged around the scattered debris and finally jumped up and dove over the couch to hide behind it, holding the gun at the ready and trying to catch their breath.

Akko snorted and giggled loudly suddenly, startling the figure behind the couch, making them fall over sideways. Diana looked at her, confused as to what was so funny in this situation and then looked back to the figure. After her eyes adjusted, she could tell who it was and let out the breath she had been holding.

"Akko?!" Amanda whispered loudly. "You scared the shit out of me." She froze when she heard more voices, now much closer than they had been before.

Akko and Diana were still hidden and peeking around the corner, keeping their eyes on the hallway as the voices came closer and closer.

" _Oh little red..."_

" _Where are you…?"_

Akko turned to Amanda with a confused look.

'Who is that?' She mouthed.

They heard footsteps coming closer and the red head looked at her in horror.

'They're crazy!' Amanda mouthed back to her.

Akko furrowed her brow and looked over toward Diana who was just grinning, watching the scene play out. The brunette wanted to ask why she was smiling when her attention was pulled back to the hallway when two figures came around the corner, guns pointed forward and eyes narrowed. The brunette's eyes grew wide. 'Hannah and Barbara?' She thought. 'What in the world?'

"We're going to find you, red. Just come on out and stop wasting our time." Hannah said viciously. She nodded toward the kitchen, silently telling Barbara to check there first.

When she didn't find anything, they both turned to the open living area. They walked forward slowly with guns at the ready, checking every nook and cranny that somebody could be hiding. Barbara looked at the couch Amanda was hiding behind and smiled evilly. She tapped Barbara on the shoulder and pointed. Hannah smiled and gestured for Barbara to move to the left side of the room and she herself moved to the right, walking silently, stalking their prey.

Akko looked nervously to Amanda who was sitting there frozen and wide eyed, listening intently for any noise coming from her enemies. She flinched when Barbara began to speak and turned her body in the direction of the voice, raising her gun and waiting.

"Oh Hannah..."

"Yes, Barbara?"

Amanda turns back around to the sound of the other voice on the other side of the room.

"Allow me get little red, please." Barbara says in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"I don't know Barb, I've been waiting for this all night." Hannah chuckles menacingly.

Amanda now has her back to the rear of the couch, looking quickly side to side, terror etched on her face. She sees movement to her left and quickly turns and raises her gun, when she sees the glowing circle come into view she aims and…

' _Beep!'_

The loud sound came from her own vest as she looks down to see that it had turned red, indicating that she had been tagged. She twists around quickly to see Barbara pointing her gun at her and then lowering it to her side.

"We win!" Barbara says in a sing song voice, bouncing on her toes.

"We aren't even playing teams! You can't both win!" Amanda shouts, irritated.

"Oh." The black haired girl lifted her gun and points it at Hannah.

"What are you…?!" Hannah starts.

' _Beep!'_

Hannah's vest beeps loudly and the circle turned a bright red. Her eyes widened as she looked down at it and then her gaze landed on Barbara once more.

"I win!" The black girl says happily.

Amanda and Hannah stare at her in shock. The three of them were so caught up in their game that they didn't see Akko and Diana approaching. They jump when the blonde starts to clap slowly as she makes her way out of the shadows. Barbara spins around so fast that she almost falls over.

"Well done, Barbara." Diana chuckles and grins at the look of shock on her friend's face.

Hannah and Barbara instinctively hide their laser guns behind their backs as if they were children caught playing with things they weren't supposed to be. They were opening and closing their mouths, obviously trying to come up with some sort of explanation at the scene that Diana had just witnessed. Akko snorts and laughs loudly at the sight as she walks over to help Amanda up off of the floor.

"Aw, you didn't wait for me? Or were you tired of me kickin' your ass at laser tag?" The brunette smiles brightly.

"Shut up." The red head says as she crosses her arms, pouting. "So...you okay?" Amanda asks softly, putting her hand on Akko's shoulder.

Akko's smile drops for a split second as she turns to look at Diana, who is smiling at her fondly. A shy smile returns to her face as she looks back at the red head.

"Yeah, I am." Akko punches Amanda's arm lightly. "You up for another game?" She smiles pleadingly.

"Of co..." The red head is interrupted by a yell coming from the basement.

" _Can somebody come and untie us please?"_

Akko looks to Amanda, confused. The red head points to Hannah and then to Barbara.

"You tied them up?!" Diana's eyebrows shoot up in shock.

"We...uh..." Barbara trails off, looking to Hannah.

"We were interrogating them." Hannah shrugs like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Diana looked between the two girls, speechless. She then looked toward Akko and Amanda. The brunette had her hand over her mouth hiding a snicker, and the red head just looked back at her nodding.

'They're crazy' She mouthed again.

The blonde lets out a loud sigh. 'What have they done to my friends?' She thought.

"Alright Akko, give me one of those guns." Diana smiles as the brunette's features light up brighter than the sun. She walks over to Akko and leans in close to whisper into her ear. " But don't expect me to take it easy one you."

Akko shivers at the feel of the warm breath on her ear. She closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. She hears Diana giggling softly at her reaction. Feeling bold, and wanting to get revenge on the blonde for the teasing she's inflicted, she grabs Diana and pulls her in close, leaning in.

"Promise?" She whispers, and then winks. "I hold you to that later tonight."

Diana's breath hitches and her face was burning in a red glow. She stared wide eyed at Akko, not blinking, and her hands were balled into fist at her side. The brunette giggled, happy that she was able to give Diana a piece of her own medicine. But after a few minutes, and no movement came from the blonde, Hannah and Barbara came to her side, looking worried.

"What did you say?" Hannah snapped.

"I didn't...uh...just..." Akko sputters.

"Diana?" Barbara waved her hand in front of the blonde's face. "Dianaaaa..." She says again.

"You broke her you dunce!"

Amanda walked up behind them, coming from the kitchen.

"Make way! I have the solution!" She shouts proudly with a glass of water in hand.

The three girls let her through before seeing the water. When Akko made the connection of what was going to happen next, she lunged to grab the glass but was too late. The red head forced the water out of the glass with the jerk of her wrist and it covered Diana's face. The blonde was brought back to reality with a jolt and jumped backward.

"What the shit?!" She shouted, wiping her face frantically with her sleeves.

"Call it the equivalent of a cold shower, because honey, I'm pretty sure you needed one." Amanda says with a smirk.

Akko snorted, covering her face from the fiery stare that was sure to be pointed her way right about now.

"Are you okay, Diana?" Barbara asks, in obvious distress.

"Girls, let's play a little laser tag. Teams of three." Diana sent a death glare toward Amanda and Akko, daring either of them to protest.

The brunette and red head stood silently and just nodded stiffly.

"Good girls." Diana smirks.

" _We're still tied up down here! Someone come and fucking untie us!"_

" _Please!"_

" _I'm so hungry!"_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

 _Akko Gets Her Yay Back_

"Oh come on Akko! How could you let Diana tag you? Twice!" Amanda whined as she followed the brunette up the stairs leading out of the basement. "You're better than I am at this game."

The two were tasked with putting away the laser tag guns and vests after a long night of laser tag. The red head was still trying to figure out how the princess and her minions were so damn good at something they claimed to have never played before. But she chalked it up to the three's ability of being absolutely terrifying, especially teamed up together. Even in the solo match that had just finished, Hannah and Barbara had protected Diana until the end. And after Akko had taken the two out, the blonde had again found a way to tag the brunette at point blank range.

"Aw, I'm glad you finally accepted that, Amanda." Akko giggled "She just...got...lucky?"

"Did you black out or something? Why did that come out as a question?" The red haired girl shook her head in exasperation. "What happened?!"

"She...uh...gave me a look." The brunette said as she shivered. "She's a little...scary...when she glares at me like that. But then after she tagged me, she looked so happy, and it was so damn cute Amanda!" Akko sighed happily and then paused at the top of the stairs, and turned wide eyed to the red head. "Oh god, she played me!"

"She played you so hard, Akko!" Amanda snorted and laughed loudly. "Okay, I'm not even mad anymore after seeing your face just now. I might have to ask Diana for some tips on manipulation!" The red head pushed her way past Akko.

"Shut up." The brunette grumbled as she started to follow.

"Pardon? Tips on...what exactly?" Diana appeared in the hallway with her eyebrow raised and her arms folded. Amanda and Akko froze in their tracks.

"Um..." The red head put a finger up in the air as she thought, but decided it'd be better to keep her mouth shut. She simply walked past the blonde without another word with her head down.

"I think I could use tips on making Amanda speechless like that." Akko snorted. "I can't ever manage to get her to shut her mouth for more than two seconds." She giggled and gave Diana a toothy grin.

The blonde watched the adorable display with a smile of her own. This had been quite the night for Diana and her friends, getting to know the band of misfits that lived here, and playing an absurd game that, for some reason, Hannah had fallen in love with. And she herself had more fun than she has had in, well, she couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun. But there was something bothering the blonde, those adorable smiles that made her heart skip a beat, were not reaching Akko's eyes the way she had seen the weekend before.

"The girls and I are going to take our leave soon, but I was hoping I could speak with you for a moment."

"...Okay?" Akko tilted her head curiously, waiting for Diana to continue.

"I..."

The blonde was interrupted with yelling and laughing from the nearby living area.

"Could we possibly speak somewhere...more private?" She asked, clearly annoyed with the noise.

"Oh, yeah. Uh...yeah, follow me."

Akko led Diana to her bedroom, which happened to be right next to Amanda's room, which she had been in earlier that day. She followed the brunette in and stepped aside as Akko closed the door behind them. Although the room was smaller, it rivaled the red head's in chaos when it came to decoration. Diana slowly walked further into the room, eyes flickering from one thing to the next.

"Ah...I'm a...sorry. I wasn't expecting any visitors." Akko mumbled as she concentrated on tidying up her living space quickly, which meant shoving everything she possibly could into her small closet.

"It's fine, Akko. I assure you." Diana tried to suppress her giggle at the sight of the frantic brunette.

The blonde stopped in front of the desk, noting the stack of textbooks and folders aside a fairly expensive looking laptop that would rival her own. Her eyes move upward to a big cork board full of pictures, ticket stubs and random papers that must have been important. She focuses on a group of pictures of a younger Akko with a girl she didn't recognize, but she had a feeling she knew exactly who it was already. The girl was slightly taller than the brunette with dark brown hair. Her ears were slightly gauged, her eyes sparkled, and her smile was charming. She was beautiful, and from the smile on Akko's face in every picture, she made the brunette very happy. Diana wanted to bring that smile back, to make Akko that happy. She wanted to be the reason for that happiness.

"Ahem"

Diana jumped a bit when she realized that she had been staring at Akko's pictures, lost in her thoughts for who knows how long. She took a sideways glance at the brunette who was staring at her with a half smile and eyebrows raised.

"I apologize, Akko. I uh..." Diana shook her head slightly. "My mind was elsewhere."

"I noticed." Akko smirked and then followed the blonde's gaze to the pictures she was focusing so hard on and her smile faltered.

"Akko, are you sure you're alright?" Diana asked softly.

"Yeah, ah..." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm fine, Diana, really. I'm a little embarrassed about how I've acted the past couple days. It just hit me harder than I thought it would this year ya know?" She sighed and sat down on her bed before continuing. "I mean, it's been a couple years. I feel a little silly for...feeling this way. For not being over it. But I promise I'm fine." Akko nods to herself decisively. "Thank you for coming to find me today. It meant more than you know, Diana." She added quietly.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I did." The blonde smiled as she turned away from the wall of pictures. "And it's not silly, Akko. These things take time, I understand how you're feeling." Diana said softly as she turned the desk chair around to face the brunette's bed and sat, crossing her legs before looking up at Akko. "I los..." the blonde's eyes went wide and she trailed off as she stared at the wall behind where the brunette sat.

"Huh?" Akko furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before she noticed that Diana was looking over her shoulder. She twisted her body around to see what the blonde was looking at. And when she figured out just what Diana had seen, she shrieked in horror. It was a picture that Akko had carefully pulled out of a sports magazine of her hockey idol, Chariot DuNord. But this specific picture had nothing to do with hockey, as it was pulled from the athlete swimsuit edition of said magazine. And Chariot was rocking her very revealing bikini, in a very compromising position.

"Gah! Oh, th-that. That's uh...that's uh...not..." Akko's face was as red as a tomato, and she couldn't meet Diana's eyes at the moment. "She was...is...no...was I guess...my favorite hockey player. You see?" She hastily pointed to the other, more wholesome posters of her favorite player and the different teams she had been apart of.

"So I see." Diana narrowed her eyes and her lips pressed into a thin line.

Akko shifted uncomfortably on her bed as the blondes cold blue eyes bore into her with an unreadable expression. Diana's glance flicked back to the picture once more, scrutinizing it.

"She's….well endowed." The blonde said uncomfortably while she cupped her hands and held them out about an inch in front of her own breasts, just to make her point.

Akko twisted her face in contemplation for a moment, studying the picture.

"Eh, she's not much bigger than you are." The brunette turned her gaze back to Diana's chest to confirm her logic and then froze after hearing herself speak those words so casually, quickly looking away from the blonde. "Um...I mean...not that I make a habit out of staring at your..." Her eyes flickered down to the blondes chest once more and then back up to azure eyes.

"Obviously..." Diana drawled as she arched her perfectly shaped eyebrow, the corners of her lips twitched as she tried to hold back a grin as she watched Akko squirm under her gaze. "I assume you look at her chest quite often though, due to the proximity of the picture to your bed." She finally let herself smirk as the brunette's jaw dropped to the floor.

"...uh..." Akko wrung her hands in her lap while she quickly tried to come up with an excuse, or any words at all, because it seems that she had forgotten the whole English language in the last minute. "A...a girl has her...needs?" She said hesitantly. Silence followed her words, and an agonizing minute went by as Akko started to sweat, regretting ever saying that. Just then and undignified snort came from the blonde sitting directly across from her.

"Oh my god, Akko!" Diana covered her mouth with her hand and giggled uncontrollably at the ridiculous answer. "Honestly, you never cease to surprise me with the things that come out of your mouth."

"Heh heh...yeah." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm glad I could entertain you." She stared in awe at the adorable sight of a giggling Diana across from her and smiled fondly. Maybe it was worth making a fool out of herself to see the usually reserved blonde let loose like this. She leaned back against the wall and tilted her head in amusement.

The two girls fell into silence after Diana had composed herself following her giggle fit, but a small smile never leaves her face as she gazed into crimson pools and leaned back comfortably in the chair.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you giggle." Akko said casually with a sly smile and eyes full of mirth. "And for your information, I've been looking at her a lot less since the day I met you."

The blonde didn't respond immediately, her smile faltering slightly. But the intensity of her stare grew, turning from amused to hungry in an instant. She tilted her own head, mimicking the girl in front of her. Diana's stomach did a somersault as her lower belly heated up with desire. She bit her lower lip, contemplating her next words, or her next move. 'A girl has her needs after all' she thought, stealing the phrase from the brunette.

"Speaking of needs," Diana stood up from her chair and walked slowly toward the bed that Akko occupied. The brunette's eyes widened slightly as she watched the advance. The blonde knelt down onto the bed and began to crawl toward the stunned figure in front of her. "There has been something I've wanted to do all night, and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss my opportunity." Her voice was low and seductive as her face was now just inches from the brunette, who visibly swallowed and parted her lips. She raised Akko's chin upward with two fingers and paused, giving the brunette a chance to turn away if she wanted to, but she made no such move.

The blonde closed the distance slowly, noticing that Akko fluttered her eyes shut in anticipation. Diana smiled before lightly brushing her lips against the brunette's, teasing a little before finally making full contact. Diana melted into the agonizingly soft lips that were matching pace with her own. It was nothing more than sweet and chaste before they parted, both girls breathed heavily and shook slightly from nervousness. They silently rested their foreheads against each other's, eyes still closed for a moment.

Suddenly Akko snaked her arm around Diana's neck and forcefully pulled her into another, more heated kiss. The blonde moaned into Akko's mouth at the unexpected intensity of the contact but welcomed it by wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist and pulled her up, flush against her own body. Akko took Diana's bottom lip between her teeth and pulled lightly, making the blonde moan again in pleasure. The brunette smiled as she deepened the kiss as her tongue hesitantly explored the Diana's lips first, and then delved deeper, clashing with the blonde's tongue almost instantly. Reluctantly they pulled back as their lungs ached for oxygen. Diana found Akko's ear and nibbled on the shell, making Akko whimper as she bit her own lower lip.

"You drive me absolutely crazy, Atsuko Kagari." The blonde spoke in a low husky tone. The brunette let out a small gasp and shivered at the confession. Diana's lips moved lower onto Akko's neck, biting the skin softly and soothing each spot with small kisses. She smiled as the brunette's hand tangled itself in her hair, urging her to continue her ministrations. The blonde moved her knee between Akko's for stability and pulled her hips closer, letting the brunette lean against her slightly. She felt Akko's hand slide slowly down from her shoulder toward her breast but paused just before contact, as the brunette let out a loud moan and then froze immediately, clasping her hand over her mouth. Feeling a little disappointed and confused, Diana pulled away from the brunette and saw a very deep shade of red overtaking Akko's features, and she was closing her eyes tightly shut.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked breathlessly with an eyebrow raised.

The brunette avoided Diana's gaze as she pointed downward between them. The blonde looked down to see what the problem was, and it took her a second to understand.

"Oh..."

Diana's knee was still between Akko's, and in the heat of the moment, she had pulled the brunette close enough that Akkos thighs were now straddling Diana's own thigh, and every movement must have been rubbing the brunette in a very sensitive place. The blonde grinned mischievously as she looked up into crimson eyes and pulled Akko close once more.

"Wha-" The brunette gasped when Diana proceeded to slowly grind once more against the sensitive spot. "D-don't tease..." She breathed out, gripping Diana's jacket tight.

The blonde stopped immediately and let out a long shaky sigh before pulling away completely, scooting backward off of the bed. Akko whined a little at the loss of the warmth of Diana's body as she slumped and shifted herself to the edge of the bed to sit, pouting slightly.

"I apologize, Akko." Diana said as she tugged at her clothes, getting out any wrinkles and brushed through her hair with her fingers. "I shouldn't have..." She couldn't complete her sentence as a blush creeps up from her neck and into her cheeks. "Ahem, I don't know what came over me."

"It was the picture wasn't it." Akko smirked as she gestured to the wall behind herself with her thumb. Diana rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No, Akko. Unfortunately I don't….share your taste in women." The blonde narrowed her eyes and scrunched her nose in the direction of the offending picture.

"What? Not a fan of tall, blonde and gorgeous?" The brunette grinned and winked, mentally high-fiving herself at the comment.

Diana arched her brow and flashed Akko a toothy grin as she folded her arms, tapping one finger on her bicep.

"Always the charmer, Akko." She chuckled. "But I really should be going, we've been alone up here for far too long. Now that I know you are truly okay..." The blonde turned toward the door.

"What? Worried the others think we're fu...uuh...having fun? Too much fun...up here?" Akko slapped her forehead as she stood up from the bed. 'Smooth, really smooth' she silently chastised herself.

Diana turned around slowly in place, her eyebrows almost touching her hairline in surprise at the language that brunette had almost used. She slowly closed the distance between them and came to a stop inches away from the brunette.

"No, Akko. I'm not worried about the others thinking that we are...how were you going to say it?" She raised Akko's chin up to force her into making eye contact, looking at her questioningly.

"...uh..."Akko tried to pull away but Diana's grip tightened on her chin making it difficult. She finally slumped her shoulders and sighed. "Fucking."

"Ah yes, that's right. I think you've been hanging out with Amanda for to long." She said with a soft laugh. "I am not worried about them thinking we are...having sex." She smirked and turned Akko's head to lean close to her ear, her tone instantly changing. "I'm afraid that if I don't leave now, I...won't be able to stop myself a second time." The blonde said quietly.

"What if I don't want you to stop..." Akko pulled her head back to look Diana in the eyes, bringing her hands up to each side of the blonde's face. "You could...stay with me tonight."

"Akko," The blonde took a step back, not quite making eye contact with the brunette. "You've been so emotional the past few days. I couldn't...take advantage of that, more than I have already. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." Diana looked down at the floor guiltily.

Akko thought about this for a moment, and couldn't bring herself to disagree with the logic. She has been emotional, not to mention not being able to think clearly. Although she wanted it, and god did she want it bad, she knew Diana was right. But she couldn't help think that even though the night won't end the way she wants it too, she had made out with freaking Diana Cavendish, and that was mind blowing. It was mind blowing. The whole damn thing. The way she tasted, the softness of those perfectly pink lips, the vanilla scent of her hair, every part of it was intoxicating. She could lose herself in every part of Diana every minute of every day. For the first time since the accident, she wasn't afraid to open her heart to someone, she wasn't afraid to let this beautiful girl in front of her break her walls down. The girl who had come looking for her, even after what happened in the music room the day before, and after Akko had avoided her all week. Could she get anymore perfect? She was…she was... 'Oh god, am I in love?' She screamed in her head.

"Akko?"

A hand was waving in front of her face as she snapped out of her internal dialogue. The brunette jumped and blinked a few times before breaking her silence.

"Oh, ha, sorry. I was...uh..." Suddenly she was tongue tied after her realization of her true feelings. "...uh..." She racked her brain to even remember what they were talking about. 'Say something, damn it!' She cursed internally.

Diana laughed softly. "I'm sorry, Akko, I can't stay tonight. I hope you understand." She looked down and took Akko's hand, rubbing circles onto her knuckles. "But at least you have Chariot to keep you company." The blonde looked up and grinned evilly.

"Dianaaa!" Akko whined. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" She mumbled, puffing her cheeks out in mock indignation.

Diana giggled and leaned in to give the brunette one last kiss on the lips, lingering for a moment before backing away.

"Just don't give her too much attention, or else I might start to get jealous." The blonde winked before turning around to open the door, disappearing through the opening without turning back.

"Wha…?" Akko stood frozen in place, staring wide eyed and mouth agape at the doorway. She turned slowly and walk toward her bed. Reaching it, she fell face first into her pillow and groaned. "Why does she have to be so damn hot?" She mumbled. After a minute of pouting, She put her hands beneath her, and pushed herself up until sitting upright. "Okay, pull it together Kagari. Deep breaths, deep breaths." She whispered to herself as her chest rose and fell dramatically. "I need to...wait, what does that make us? Is she...are we? Should I ask her out on a date? Oh god, what do I even say?" Her heartbeat quickened at her quiet conversation with herself, she looked down at her hands that were now suddenly shaking. She vaguely heard the front door open and close during her internal struggle but thought nothing of it until...

"See ya, spice girls! How about a private performance next time, ginger?"

"Amanda!"

"That's it! I'm going to...no, let me go! I'm going to slap her!"

Akko is pulled from her thoughts as she heard voices outside. She ran to her window and opened it to see Barbara with her arms around Hannah on the front lawn, trying to hold back the enraged girl. Amanda was doubled over in laughter a few feet away from them. Beside them, Lotte and Diana looked on in annoyance and fatigue, both shaking their head in disapproval. 'Shit, I didn't even say goodbye!' The brunette screamed in her head at the sight of the blonde.

"Aw, no reason to get your panties in a twist baby girl." Amanda said flirtatiously.

"My panties are in so such condition!" Hannah yelled back at her, finger pointing accusingly. "You wish you could have that effect on me, you...you...rapscallion!"

"Hmm," Amanda hummed in contemplation as she walked slowly toward Hannah, who was still being held tightly by Barbara. "Is that a challenge?" The red head dawned a grin so wide, it would put the Cheshire cat to shame. Hannah gasped at the sight.

"Girls, please, can you please flirt with each other at another time? I'm rather tired." Diana pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to avoid an impending headache. She turned toward the street and started walking in the direction of her car.

"What?" Hannah stares at the blonde, horrified and betrayed. "I'm not-"

"DIANA!"

All five girls twisted around to look up to where the loud voice had come from. Akko was leaning out her window and waved when she caught the blondes attention. Diana arched her eyebrow as she waved back hesitantly.

"DIANA, CAN I TAKE YOU OUT ON A DATE?!" The brunette yelled, getting straight to the point.

Four pairs of shocked eyes turned to Diana, who was being taken over by a bright blush.

"Akko, there is no need to shout, I am not that far away from you." The blonde stated.

"WHAT?"

"I SAID THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO SHOUT!" Diana yelled back, surprising herself at the volume of her words. Giggles and a snort came from the girls standing around her before she turned on them and gave her best ice cold glare. It was met by the clearing of throats and uncomfortable silence. Taking a deep breath, she walked closer to the house and leaned back to look up at the window that the brunette was leaning out of. "It's nearly midnight Akko, you mustn't be so loud."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Akko rubbed the back of her neck. "Diana, will you-"

"HEY! KEEP IT DOWN! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP AROUND HERE!"

The girls jumped and twisted around again toward the yelling coming from the neighboring house. There was a girl with dark purple hair hanging out a second story window of the house, looking tired and very angry.

"YOU KEEP IT DOWN, AVERY! AKKO IS TRYING TO ASK HER GIRLFRIEND OUT ON A DATE!" Amanda yelled back at the girl.

"AKKO HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!" Avery shouted in shock. She turned her head, looking back into the darkness of her house. "MARY! AKKO HAS A GIRLFRIEND! She yelled excitedly. A few seconds later a girl appeared next to her. She had blue hair that was held back with a red ribbon.

"HELL YES, AKKO! WHO'S THE LUCKY LADY?!" Mary leaned out and waved happily across at the brunette as she shouted

"Heh heh." Akko waved back awkwardly before looking down at Diana, who was now covering her face with both hands and groaning.

"Lotte, what the hell is going on?" Barbara whispered.

"Oh, you get used to this sort of thing when you're living with Amanda and Akko." Lotte shrugged.

Barbara and Hannah looked at each other in shock before turning back to look at the girls in the window of the house next door. They jumped when they heard another shout next to them.

"DIANA CAVENDISH!" Amanda yelled back, answering Mary's question.

"DIANA CAVENDISH?!" Avery and Mary shouted at the same time in shock. "NO WAY!" The purple haired girl yelled excitedly. "WHERE IS SHE?" The blue hair girl added.

"SHE'S..."Amanda started. "Hey, where did she go?"

The four girls standing on the lawn looked to the empty space the blonde had been occupying a moment earlier before they heard a car door shut behind them. They whirled around as the BMW started up and began to pull away.

"DIANA!" Hannah shouted. "WAIT!"

Hannah and Barbara ran as fast as their legs could take them toward the moving car. It stopped abruptly, allowing the two girls to jump in before it sped off into the night and disappeared around the corner. It was completely silent as the remaining girls looked from one to the other.

"GUUUUYS!" Akko whined. "YOU SCARED HER OFF!"

"YOU STARTED IT!" Amanda yelled back accusingly.

Akko held out a very choice finger at the red head before slamming her window shut. It immediately opened again and the brunette stuck her head back out.

"Goodnight Avery, Mary." She said kindly as she waved.

"Goodnight, Akko!" They said smiling in unison before they closed their window.

Akko turned back to Amanda and glared, not breaking eye contact as she slammed her window shut once more. Amanda only snorted and snickered as she was beginning to be dragged back inside by a very tired Lotte.

"You could give them a break once in a while you know." Lotte sighed as they got closer to the door.

"Oh come on, it wouldn't bother them that much if they would just fuck already. Just get it out of the way already. Am I right?"

"Amanda!"

"I'm right, and you know it. It did wonders for you and Sucy." Amanda grinned knowingly.

"Wha…?! It...I...didn't...how..." Lotte's brain short circuited and she couldn't get out a complete sentence.

"That's what I thought." The red head chuckled as she walked past the flustered girl and into the house.

In the bedroom on the second floor, Akko was again laying down on her bed with her face in her pillow. Only now, she was screaming curses at her meddling friends and pounding her fists in the bed on either side of her head. She stopped immediately when she felt a vibration come from the pocket of her shorts. She slowly reached down, pulled out her phone and unlocked it. A message notification popped up and she saw Diana's name and number. Taking a deep breath, she opened the message.

' _ **I'd love to go on a date with you, Akko.'**_

The brunette read and reread the message before her eyes lit up like a fireworks show and her smile could have rivaled the brightness of the sun. She pushed herself up and stood on her bed before letting out a loud 'whoop!' She jumped up and down, squealing like a little school girl as she held her phone to her chest.

"She said yes...she said yes...she said yes..." The brunette sang in tempo with her jumps.

She slowed her jump and stopped all together when she heard someone snickering outside her doorway. Turning her head toward the noise, she saw a hand holding a phone poking out into the doorway, the snickering coming from whoever was standing on the other side of the wall out of view. Akko's eyes grew wide as she realized that the phone was probably taking a video of her jumping up and down on her bed like a little girl. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed the green designs on the otherwise black phone case. She jumped off the bed and sprinted toward the door.

"I'm going to kill you, O'Neil!"

The phone disappeared in a flash and when Akko rounded the corner, Amanda was halfway to the stairs already running as fast as she could.

"Only if you can catch me, shorty!" The red head held the phone over her head triumphantly as she began descending the stairs laughing hysterically.

########################################

Diana finally laid down on her bed, letting out a satisfied sigh. She closed her eyes and just started relax when she heard a vibration and a message tone sounding from her phone. Groaning, she sat up and leaned over to pick up the object off of her bedside table. She unlocked the phone and winced in pain at the blinding light emanating from the screen. After turning the brightness down, she opened her messages and smiled when she saw an unread message from Akko.

' _ **Goodnight beautiful'**_

The blonde smiled giddily and bit her lip as she tried keep from squealing in happiness. How could such a simple message make her so happy? She replied with an equally simple message.

'Goodnight, Akko. Sleep tight.'

Just as she put the phone back on the small table, it vibrated and sounded out once again. She pulled it back and narrowed her eyes in confusion as she unlocked it once more. On the screen was another unread message, but this time it was from a number she didn't recognize. She opened the message and saw that it was a short video.

"Hmm." She hummed as she clicked on the video to play it.

The video was of a very familiar figure jumping up and down on her bed with her phone to her chest. Singing 'she said yes' as she jumped. Diana giggled at the pure joy she was watching, the joy that she had brought to Akko with one simple message. It mirrored her own happiness, although she wasn't quite as energetic and open with her feelings. But she did feel like jumping up and down on her bed tonight. Maybe she'd try it sometime. A sudden change in the video brought her attention back to it. The figure had stopped and was glaring at the camera. She jumped off and threatened to kill whoever was behind it. Which was none other than Amanda O'Neil, who starting running and shut off the camera immediately.

"Amanda O'Neil." Diana chuckled. "Never a dull moment."

Just then, another message came through from the same number, which she is now certain is the mischievous red head's number.

' _ **Thanks for making her happy again Diana'**_

The blonde was on the verge of tears from the uncharacteristically sappy message from Amanda. For some odd reason this made her proud, to have the red head's acceptance and blessing to date her friend. Not that she'd even let Amanda know that. But maybe it was because Akko and Amanda were more like sisters than friends, at least, they fought like sisters. Then she received another message.

' _ **But if you hurt her, I will find you, and I will hurt you'**_

And another.

' _ **Night princess'**_

"And there's the Amanda we all know." Diana sighed and smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _Preparations_

The hot Sunday morning sun shone on the glistening skin of Atsuko Kagari as her feet moved quickly down the sidewalk. She waved happily at her early rising neighbors as she ran past the houses located on the winding street that led to her home. Starting to feel shallow of breath, she forced herself to push a little harder, closing the distance quickly between herself and her destination. Red earbuds blasted loud rock music into her ears, the fast beats now matching pace with her quickened heart rate. The brunette all but sprinted to the marker she had set on the running app on her phone and collapsed onto the grass breathing heavily. She took out her phone and checked her time, comparing it to her previous attempts at the same distance weeks before.

"Shit." She breathed out in a disappointed whisper.

She had not beaten her time, in fact, she had lost nearly a minute on her best time. Her mood as of late had done a number on her motivation to do much of anything apart from school and hockey practice, but this morning she couldn't wait to get up and start her day, eager to get back to her old routine. And for that, she had a certain beautiful blonde haired girl to thank. The girl had set a new fire in Akko, one that she had not felt in a very long time. Since the moment she felt those soft lips on her own, she couldn't think of anything else. When she closed her eyes, every thought was drowning in those deep pools of azure eyes, and she never wanted to come up for air. It would be a sweet death, a sweet death indeed.

"You're up early. Back to the old grind I see?"

Akko was yanked out of her reverie by a low, fatigued voice coming from the front door of her blue house. Amanda was standing in the open doorway in her usual track shorts and t-shirt, holding a large coffee mug in her hands.

"Yeah, felt pretty good this morning." The brunette grinned proudly.

"Gee, I wonder why?" The red head mumbled, lifting the mug to her mouth to hide her smirk.

Oblivious to Amanda's sarcastic statement, Akko finished her last stretch, stood up and skipped happily over to the red head.

"Seriously, Akko. How do you have any energy left? Are you even human?" Amanda said with with her eyebrows raised.

"Superhuman, Amanda. Superhuman." Akko laughs and nudges the redhead in the side playfully as she walks by into the house and Amanda followed, closing the door behind them. "Hey Amanda, do you think seven o'clock was too early to text Diana?"

"You texted Dia…." The redhead trailed off, stopping herself from letting the snarky comment make its way out of her mouth. 'Give them a break' she thought, Lotte's words coming back to her from the night before. "Has she...texted you back yet?"

Akko pulled out her phone to check it once more. It was just past 8 o'clock, and Diana was no doubt still asleep after her late arrival home. The brunette just shook her head no in answer to Amanda's question.

"Then yes. Seven o'clock was too early." The redhead said simply before walking to the kitchen for a refill of her precious coffee.

Akko only hummed in reply. She wasn't an idiot. She knew it was too early, but she didn't really care. Diana was the first thing on her mind that morning, and she wanted the blonde to know that. Was that weird? Was that too much? 'Shit, what if she thinks that's too clingy?' She thought as she gripped her phone tighter.

"Ugh, you're already talking about Diana? Didn't we see enough of her last night?"

Akko jumped at the tired voice coming from the couch. Sucy sat there along with Lotte, both of them reading their favorite books. The former staring at her in irritation.

"Oh Sucy, you had fun last night. Don't try to act like you didn't." Lotte chimed in, slapping the pink haired girl playfully on the shoulder. "You were even nice to Diana, I think you secretly think of her as friend now."

"How dare you!" Sucy looked at her friend in horror. "Never say that again."

Lotte giggled uncontrollably at her friend's reaction. And through the feigned horror, a small smile crept onto the pink haired girl's face as she watched the scene. Until she remembered the brunette standing behind them was watching, Sucy quickly turned her expression back to one of disinterest and cleared her throat. Akko looked on in amusement, arching an eyebrow at the pink haired girl.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Sucy asked flatly, pursing her lips at the brunette.

"Yeah yeah. I'm going." Akko smirked as she turned toward the stairs and retreated to her bedroom.

She gathered her things from her room and took a long, much needed shower. While she was basking in the hot water running over her body, a message tone from her phone rang out over the sound of the running water. Akko stuck her head out beyond the curtain, contemplating whether to wait to check it after she was done, or check it right away. After a few seconds, she decided to step out and dry her hands off before picking up her phone and unlocking it to check the message.

' _ **Good morning, Akko. You were up early. Did you have something important to do this morning?'**_

The brunette smiled fondly at the screen and typed out a quick reply.

' _Nah, just went for a long run this morning. Now I'm taking a shower. Sorry for texting so early btw.'_

She pressed send and set her phone down. Quickly stepping back into the shower, she let out a satisfied sigh at the warmth. But before she could reach for the soap, the message tone rang out once more. Stepping out again, she dried off her hands and checked the new message.

' _ **You're taking a shower? As we speak?'**_

Akko looked at her phone in confusion before typing.

' _Uh yeah? I just wanted to text you back so I stepped out. But I'm shivering a little because I'm so wet.'_

Again she pressed send, and stepped back into the shower under the warm water. She grabbed the soap and finished quickly before turning the water off. She stepped out and dried off, finishing up in the bathroom by putting on some comfortable lounging clothes. She set her things in her room and made her way back down the stairs into the kitchen where Amanda was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. Akko checked her phone again and was disappointed to see that Diana had not texted her back yet. The redhead must have noticed her sullen expression.

"You alright?" She asked before taking a bite of the sugary cereal and swallowed. "Diana hasn't texted you back yet?"

"She did. While I was in the shower. We texted back and forth a few times and then she stopped." Akko said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Eh, maybe she's busy." The redhead shrugged.

"She didn't seem like she was. Look..." Akko slid the phone across the table and stood up to prepare her own breakfast.

The redhead opened the message app on the brunettes phone and began reading through the messages while taking a drink of her orange juice. Said orange juice quickly made it's way out of Amanda's mouth as she had involuntarily spit the liquid all over the table in front of her after reading the last message. Akko spun around quickly and stepped back flush against the counter.

"What?" The brunette asked in a panic.

"So wet?!" Amanda half shouted at Akko, pointing at the message with her eyebrows raised.

"I was wet. I was in the shower." The brunette tilted her head in confusion.

"Akko...no..." The redhead put her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes. "You really don't see anything...wrong with that message?"

"No?" Akko replied hesitantly, thinking through what she said one more time.

"You told her you were shivering because you were so wet!" The redhead raised her voice, throwing her hands up in the air and standing up to grab a towel to clean off the table with

"I was wet! And it was cold!" The brunette shouted back in the same frustrated tone.

"Okay, I'm done. I'm done!" Amanda threw her hands up in the air once more before wiping the table roughly, cleaning the orange juice from the surface. "You want to know why she probably hasn't texted you back?" She asked through clenched teeth. Akko could only nod her head, afraid to say anything at this point. "It's because you texted her while you were showering which means you were naked, and you told her you were shivering because you were so wet." The volume of her voice was increasing with every word. "And the sexual tension is so fucking thick between you two, she probably couldn't handle an image of you being naked and 'wet'!" Amanda gestured at the last word with her fingers making quotation signs. "Because even the refined Diana Cavendish isn't immune to having a dirty mind once in a while, especially when she's horny, I assume."

"Amanda!" Akko shouted, gasping in shock. The redhead only chuckled as she threw the dirty rag in the sink. The brunette put up a finger, readying herself to reprimand Amanda for her inappropriate words, when she froze. 'Shivering because I'm so wet' she thought again in her head. "Oh...my...gooood..."

"And the light bulb appears!" Amanda yelled victoriously.

"No no no no..."

"Yes yes yes yes my friend." The redhead patted her roughly on the back and sighed in contentment.

A flustered and very red Akko was left standing alone in the kitchen as Amanda strode out chuckling to herself and mumbling something along the lines of 'good luck with that'. The brunette lifted her phone and stared at the black screen for what seemed like an eternity. Ultimately she decided to let it go. Anything the brunette said at this point would probably only make things worse. And she was banking on the fact that Diana had been through a lot the last couple weeks, and she was probably starting to get used to this sort of thing.

"Why the hell she even stuck around is beyond me..." Akko whispered to herself and sighed. Her stomach rumbled angrily, reminding her of why she was in the kitchen in the first place. "Ah, yes. Gives me all the foods..." She said greedily as she grabbed her favorite cereal.

The vibration from the phone in her pocket made her jump as she was pouring her cereal, a few stray pieces fell onto the table and the floor. Grumbling, she picked them up and threw them away before taking out her phone to see that Diana had finally messaged her back. She was completely and utterly terrified to open in. She slowly brought her hand up to the screen, as if the slower she went, the less likely it was that the message wouldn't make her want to lay down and die. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly tapped the message icon.

' _ **Are you done with your shower and fully clothed, Akko?'**_

Now, of all the terrible things she could think of reading in this particular message, this had not been one of them. Her fear was immediately replaced with confusion. She replied to the rather odd question.

' _Yes I am. Why?'_

She waited, watching the dots light up on the screen indicating that the blonde was typing out a message. A minute later, it appeared.

' _ **If you ever feel inclined to text me again from the shower, please refrain from telling me as much. Nor do I need to know when you are shivering and wet.'**_

Akko let out an involuntary snort at the formality of the message. Her shoulders shook up and down as she silently giggled, thinking of all the ways she could tease Diana. 'I shouldn't' she thought, trying to convince herself that it wasn't a good idea. 'I really...really shouldn't' she stared at the screen and the message that was awaiting a reply. 'Ah screw it' she conceded as she typed a message out furiously, grinning evilly as she pushed send.

' _Okay, that's fair. Would you like me to text you when I'm shivering and wet in bed instead? ;)'_

She laughed to herself when she could almost see the blonde pinching her the bridge of her nose at that very second. She felt a little bad but it was so fun to tease Diana. And as memory serves, the blonde had a knack for teasing her as well, usually to the point of speechlessness. A new message came almost immediately.

' _ **Please delete my number.'**_

After a rushed apology text from the brunette and a shortlived silent treatment from the blonde, they fell into a comfortable conversation about their morning and settled on the day and time of their first date. Akko volunteered to plan the whole thing and asked Diana not to worry about a thing. The brunette had never been on a real date before, so she knew it was time to call in her reinforcements. Surely her friends would be more than willing to help. She gathered them all into the living area, pulling them from various tasks and projects they had been working on.

"I have gathered you all here today because we need to discuss something rather important." Akko stood in front of five girls seated on the couch and small love seat.

"Why are you talking so weird?" Sucy droned, looking as bored as ever.

"Hey, I'm running a meeting. I'm just trying to sound..." Akko paused, thinking of the correct term to use.

"Smart?" Amanda arched an eyebrow and grinned.

"Yeah. I mean, hey! I'm smart! Ugh. Never mind that." The brunette crossed her arms and huffed. "I need your help." Akko looked around pleadingly. When no one immediately answered, she continued. "With my date. I need help planning my date."

"Really?!" Lotte shrieked in elation.

Sucy, who was sitting next to the excited girl, jumped slightly. Everyone else stared at her, slightly shocked at her enthusiasm.

"You'll help me Lotte?" Akko asked, clasping her hands together against her chest.

"Of course, Akko!" She said starry eyed. "And Sucy will help too."

"Why are you dragging me into this?" Sucy's eye grew wide as she turned toward Lotte.

"Constanze and I will help!" Jasminka said proudly as she dug into her bag of potato chips. Constanze gave Akko an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Well shit, I'm not gonna be the bitch who says no." Amanda grinned and winked at Akko.

"Guuuuys!" The brunette began to tear up. "Thanks so much!"

"Okay, Akko. Do you have any ideas?" Lotte asked as she shifted her body toward the edge of the couch, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Yeah, I actually do...have a few." She said nervously.

The brunette began to elaborate on the ideas she had come up with since she had asked Diana out the night before. They were just rough ideas, most likely pulled from movies she had seen but couldn't quite place. With every idea that came from Akko, her friend's eye brows lifted a little bit more in surprise. The brunette paced as she talked, more to herself than to the others, with her brows furrowed until finally she went silent. She turned to her friends once more and held her breath.

"So, what do you think?"

Akko was met with silence. She shuffled her feet nervously as five pairs of eyes stared at her in awe. Amanda was the first to break out of her trance, shaking her head a bit.

"Damn, Akko. That...just wow." The redhead whispered.

"A date like that belongs in Nightfall!" Lotte added dreamily.

"Gag me." Sucy mumbled, receiving a slight glare from Lotte.

"So..so you think it's okay? Do you think Diana will like it?" Akko asked hesitantly.

"I'd be surprised if she could keep her panties on long enough to make it to the end." Amanda snickered.

"Amandaaaa!" Akko whined, but before she could say anything else, she was cut off.

"I kid, I kid. Akko, she will absolutely love it. If...we can pull it off." The redhead tapped her bottom lip with her finger in contemplation. "I mean we have six days..."

"...So?" The brunette waited anxiously for Amanda to finish.

"Alright. Let's do this. Let's impress your lady, Akko! Hands in!" The redhead stood up and held her hand over the table.

Lotte quickly followed, putting her hand over Amanda's. Jasminka and Constanze followed after that with determined nods. Akko put her hand in and then everyone turned their gazes toward Sucy, who hadn't moved from the love seat. She rolled her eyes and sighed before standing up.

"Fine." She grumbled as she put her hand on top of the stack.

"Alright! Get Akko laid on three!" Amanda shouted.

'Wha-" Akko gasped in shock but was immediately cut off.

"One!" The redhead shouted again.

"But-"

"Two!"

"No sto-"

"Three!"

"Get Akko laid!" Four girls shouted in unison. Constanze had only snickered quietly through the whole ordeal and Akko was now glaring at each and every one of them.

"I regret this already." The brunette grumbled as she rubbed her eyes in annoyance. "Okay, let's...just plan this out I guess." She sighed before kneeling down at the table in the middle of the room. Her friends gathered around eagerly.

######################################

Monday afternoon arrived and the girls of the Luna Nova hockey team were finishing up their drills for the day. Coach Ursula blew her whistle and announced the end of practice. She smiled knowingly at the tired girls as mumbles and mutters filled the otherwise silent field. No body liked Mondays. The blue haired woman was surprised to see her energetic brunette player running up to her quickly. She had to take a step back fearing she was going to be tackled to the ground before the girl was able to stop.

"Ursula! Can I talk you?" Akko asked as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Yes, of course, Akko. What's up?" Ursula replies with a fond smile.

"I...um...I need your help."

"I can certainly try. What's going on?" The blue haired woman asked in mild concern at her player's nervousness.

"Well, I have a date on Saturday...with Diana." Akko blushed slightly as she said it.

"Oh! Congratulations, Akko! So you two finally started dating huh?" Ursula flashed the brunette a bright toothy grin.

"Oh. I mean, this is...this is our first date. And I want it to be perfect. Ya know?" Akko looked at the ground in embarrassment. "I mean, after the lap dance thing, and me passing out, and Amanda's teasing and the shower thing and my god, the poster thing!" She brought her hands up to her face and shook her head. "I want Saturday night to be perfect, she deserves it." The brunette looked back up to Ursula with a determined smile and resolute eyes.

"Poster...thing?" The blue haired woman was confused at her player's ramblings, but was genuinely curious about how a poster could have have any sort of impact on the girl's relationship.

"Oh." Akko pauses, surprised that out of all that, the poster thing is what Ursula was curious about. "It's dumb really. You know who Chariot DuNord is, right coach?"

"Yeah," Ursula's voice cracked and she froze on the spot. "I've heard of her."

"Well she's been my idol for a long time. She's so amazing and kind and strong and oh man is she ho-"

"I get the picture Akko." The coach cut her off immediately, a furious blush was creeping onto her face.

"Heh heh, sorry. She just really helped me through a really terrible time in my life. Her strength and her passion for life in general helped me to move forward when I thought I didn't have the strength to. I really wish I could meet her someday and thank her for that. Even if she did disappear, I can hope, right?" Akko finished meekly, before looking up at the blue haired woman with sad smile.

"Akko..." Ursula replied softly as she was holding back a flood of tears, threatening break the dam behind her eyes. She was elated and heartbroken, all at the same time. 'I should tell her' she thought. "I-"

"Anyway, Diana saw this poster I have of Chariot in my room. The one of her in a bikini and she's-"

"What?!" Ursula let out a piercing shriek. She knew exactly what photo Akko was talking about.

"Yeah, I think she was a little uncomfortable because it's above my be-"

"Akko stop!" Ursula said with a little more force than she had intended. The brunette jumped at the interruption and stared wide eyed at her coach, who's face was now a very bright red. After taking a deep breath, she continued. "Why don't you just tell me what you need help with." She said quickly. 'She can never find out who I am. I would just DIE!' She screamed in her head, trying to keep her expression calm.

"Oh, right. Heh. So here's the plan..." Akko began to explain her idea to Ursula and explain why she would need her help. After a few minutes of excited rambling, she finished. "So, what do you think? It's not stupid is it?"

"Akko, it's not stupid at all. I think it's a great idea." The coach grinned proudly at the brunette and put her hand on her player's shoulder. "And I would be honored to help you out on your first date."

"Yeah!" Akko jumped up off the ground, pumping her fist into the air. "Thanks so much, coach! You're the best!" She said over her shoulder as she grabbed her things and ran to catch up with her friends who had left for the cafeteria.

After the brunette was out of sight, Ursula let out a long sigh.

"I'm going to slap Croix for convincing me to the do that damn photo shoot."

######################################

The rest of the week wasn't particularly kind to Akko, as she had fallen behind in her studies because of her sour mood and lack of motivation for the last couple of weeks. She found herself having to finish missed assignments and complete a few essays who's deadlines were nearing. This took up most of her attention every night, only stopping to shower, eat and text Diana. The only things she deemed important enough. And unfortunately, the other girls had heavy workloads as well, taking their attention away from preparing for the Akko's first date.

Thursday night rolled around and the occupants of the blue house found themselves scattered around the main living area, noses in text books, and pens in hand scribbling furiously in notebooks. The brunette groaned unhappily as she leaned forward and rested her head on the book she was currently trying to decipher.

"Ugh. Whyyyyyy?!" Akko groaned, words muffled by the object she was smashing her face into.

"Mood, friend." Amanda nodded her head to agree with the brunette as she turned a page in her book.

"We haven't even had time to decorate yet. This date is going to be a disaster." Akko said in distress, not lifting her head to speak.

"Akko, we have everything we need. And tomorrow is Friday, so we can stay up late if we need to." Lotte spoke softly, leaning over to pat her friend on the back reassuringly. "I promise everything will be ready."

"Yeah. What she said." The redhead added unhelpfully.

"Thanks guys." Akko stood up and gathered her things, letting out a big yawn before she spoke again. "I think I'm going to call it a night though. I can't hold my eyes open any longer."

The others mumbled their goodbyes as the brunette left the room. She entered her bedroom and dropped her books on her desk haphazardly before falling onto her bed. Before sleep could take her, she grabbed her phone and typed out a goodnight text to Diana. Good morning and goodnight texts had become a ritual for the two, and Akko couldn't imagine a better way to start and end her days than talking to the girl that she loved. But tonight she couldn't even stay awake to read the reply. She succumbed to the sweet temptation of sleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.

######################################

Diana woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window on Friday morning. She used to curse them for waking her up in such an annoying way, but lately it seemed that nothing could sour her mood, even in the early hours of the morning. She sat up in her bed and immediately grabbed her phone to send a good morning text to her adorable...friend? Girlfriend? It was still unclear to Diana what the status of their relationship actually was. They hadn't talked about it yet, hopefully their date would clear things up for the blonde. All she knew was that Akko made her very happy, more happy than she could remember being in a long time. She wished she could talk to the brunette more often, but she knew that Akko was drowning in school work, as the girl had not so subtly put it. Diana giggled, remembering the clear disdain that Akko had for the work.

Before she could type out a message, she noticed she had an unread email showing on the screen from late last night. A message from her aunt Daryl. Diana sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Whenever her aunt reached out to her, it was never to bring good news. Daryl had always gone out of her way to avoid communicating with the heiress unless it was business related. Even then, she had always just sent a letter. So whatever was in this email was not a good thing. The blonde clicked on the icon, just wanting to get whatever it was her aunt wanted to say, out of the way.

' _ **Diana,**_

 _ **The board of directors have called an emergency meeting on Saturday. You are required to attend. Your flight will leave at 11:00 am Saturday morning and your ticket will be waiting for you at the airport. I'll send a driver to pick you up. He will have your itinerary. Safe travels.**_

 _ **Daryl'**_

"Tomorrow?" Diana whispered sadly to herself as she read over the email again. Tossing her phone to the side, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. She was going to have to cancel her first date with Akko. Her heart ached. She suddenly had a hard time breathing as tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. The blonde quickly brought her hand up to wipe them away, even though nobody was there to see her being a complete irrational mess. 'Stop being so childish' she thought, chastising herself. Akko would understand surely, but Diana didn't want her to have to understand. She didn't want her to have to take a back seat to anything. But nothing could be done at this point. She was required to be in London tomorrow. She needed to tell the Akko as soon as possible.

######################################

' _Ring ring ring'_

Akko snapped awake and groaned at the sound of her phone ringing. She groggily reached out for the loud object, fumbling with it a few times before getting a grip. Without looking at who the caller was, she answered sleepily.

"Hello?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment and then a quiet sniff.

" _ **H-hello Akko. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"**_

Akko sat up quickly, suddenly wide awake after hearing Diana's solemn raspy voice.

"Yeah, but it's okay. What's wrong, Diana? Did something happen?"

" ** _Ahem._ _Akko I..."_ **

The line went silent once more, long enough that the brunette had to check to make sure the call hadn't dropped.

" _ **I received a message from my aunt, and I have to travel to London tomorrow morning for a meeting. I won't be able to make our date."**_

Akko's heart sunk immediately. Her mind went completely blank and she couldn't breath. When no reply came, Diana continued quickly.

" _ **I'm so sorry, Akko. If it wasn't urgent, I would have declined."**_

'No, no, no, no...' she thought. 'This isn't right. I can't wait another week.'

"No..." The brunette whispered.

" _ **Akko I'm-"**_

"Tonight." Akko blurted out suddenly, effectively cutting off the blonde.

" _ **...Pardon?"**_

"Are you free tonight? Can I take you on a date tonight?" The brunette pleaded desperately.

Silence met her again. 'God, I sound so needy!' she screamed internally. But the truth was simply that she was needy. She desperately wanted to see Diana, and she just couldn't wait. She crossed her fingers and closed her eyes, waiting for a response.

" _ **Yes, Akko. Tonight will work perfectly."**_

"Oh thank god." Akko let out the breath she was holding. "I mean...uh...c-cool." She backtracked before audibly smacking her forehead. The brunette was met with the sweet sound of giggling on the other end of the line that made her heart flutter. "I'll pick you up at...uh is eight o'clock okay? I have a late practice today."

" _ **That's perfect, and I can't wait. But I need to get going. I don't want to be late for my first class."**_

"Oh right, class. Well I can't wait to see you tonight, Diana. Have a good day, okay?"

" _ **I will most certainly try. You have a good day as well. Goodbye, Akko."**_

"Bye, Diana."

The call ended and Akko smiled at her phone for a whole minute before coming to a problematic realization. She was taking Diana out on a date tonight. TONIGHT! All the planning went out the window at that point. She wasn't ready, her friends weren't ready.

"Shit!" She shouted, jumping off her bed. She sprinted to the door and flung it open before running to the door next to hers. She knocked a few times before barging into Amanda's room. "Amanda! Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up!" The brunette shouted as she shook the redhead violently.

"What?!" Amanda flung the blankets off of herself and stood up immediately, looking around quickly in a fighting stance. After calming down, noticing the lack of immediate danger, her gaze fell on Akko. "What the hell is going on?" She said breathlessly.

"Tonight, Amanda. I had to change the date to tonight!" The brunette shouted in horror.

"Wha...why?!" The redhead shrieked.

"No time, we have to gather the others!" The brunette turned and ran out the door with Amanda hot on her heels.

After four other girls were successfully awoken and dragged unwillingly into the living room, Constanze literally being carried in by Jasminka, they settled in for the emergency meeting. Akko recounted the conversation she had with Diana, effectively expressing the desperation she felt as she paced back and forth, gesturing wildly.

"Calm down, Akko." Amanda pleaded. "We...can do this. Right guys?" She looked around at the other girls, searching for someone to back her up. "Jas, you can get it done right?"

"Most definitely." Jasminka smiled reassuringly at Akko.

"Okay, and the rest is just, like, decorating right?" The redhead spoke more to herself than anyone else.

"We're going to cut it close, but I'm sure we can pull it off." Lotte added tiredly.

Constanze, who hadn't even opened her eyes yet, just weakly gave them all a thumbs up before nuzzling back into the couch cushion.

"I'm so lucky I have you guys." Tears were now trickling down Akko's cheeks at the display of friendship.

"Don't get all sappy on us now, Kagari." Amanda smirked before walking over and wrapping the brunette in a tight hug that was welcomed enthusiastically.

"I don't know what I would do without you Amanda. Thank you so much." The brunette whispered.

"Hey, this is what friends are for right?" The redhead replied softly as she rested her head against the top of Akko's.

"I hate to break up the love fest, but we do have classes today. We should all start getting ready." Sucy stood up and walked out of the room without another word.

"Oh, right. Sorry you guys." Akko wiped the last of her tears and let go of Amanda. "Thanks again everyone."

Lotte hugged Akko on her way out of the room, following in the direction that Sucy had disappeared to. Jasminka picked Constanze up and squeezed the brunette's shoulder before retreating back to her room.

"Well, we should probably get ready too. Gonna be long day my friend." The redhead stretched her arms above her head as she yawned. "And you should probably text coach to let her know the change of plans." Amanda ruffled Akko's hair before walking to the stairs and disappearing around the corner.

"Right, I'll do that."

######################################

"Lotte, I was wrong. We're fucking screwed." Amanda grumbled as she tried to untangle a string of lights.

Lotte and Amanda were busying themselves on the patio behind their house. The backyard itself wasn't very large, the patio taking up most of the area along with a small garden that Jasminka took care of. A large table with six chairs sat at the center of the patio under a large gazebo. Lotte swept the the area with a broom as she listened to Amanda's complaints.

"I mean, I literally just took these out...of...the...box!" She threw the lights back down on to the table in frustration.

"Yeah, it was pretty unlucky that Sucy was asked to tutor someone tonight. The fact that we all get home late on Fridays doesn't help either." She said, clearly as worried as the redhead was. "What if we-"

"So what do you think?" Akko strode out of the sliding glass door to the patio, showing off the outfit she had picked. She wore tight, slightly worn blue jeans rolled up at the bottom revealing her bare ankles, leading down to a pair of black and white checkered Vans slip ons. Her top was a dark gray vintage Def Leppard t-shirt. Her trademark half ponytail was still there, of course.

"I think...it is very _you_." Amanda smirked, forgetting her irritation with the string of lights.

"What? Is very me...a good thing?" The brunette asked nervously.

"It looks good, Akko." Lotte said approvingly, flashing Akko a bright smile.

"Thank god, because I don't have any time to change. I'll see you guys later!" The brunette was gone in a flash with a final wave over her shoulder.

"Amanda, how is she getting to Diana's house?" Lotte wondered aloud.

"I don't know, maybe she...oh no. She wouldn't." The redhead's eyes grew wide.

"She wouldn't what?"

"No, she's not that...no, no she is that...oh god Lotte. The scooter!" Amanda said, horrified.

"She wouldn't!" Lotte gasped. "She had to have called a taxi right?"

Their answer came almost immediately with the sound of Akko's Vespa scooter starting up in the driveway, and a minute later the sound began to disappear as she drove further down the road and out of the neighborhood until they couldn't hear it at all.

"Why is she...the way that she is?" Amanda asked as she rubbed her eyes. Lotte giggled and shrugged in reply.

"I just wish I was going to be there to see the look on Diana's face when she sees her knight in shining armor ride up on a Vespa scooter." The redhead snorted, and Lotte laughed a little louder when she pictured it in her own mind.

"Oh dear." Lotte sighed. "Amanda we are going to need help. Do you have any ideas?"

"I do have an idea, but I'm having a very hard time deciding if it'd be worth it." The redhead pulled out her phone and turned it on.

"Do it for Akko. Whatever it is."

Amanda sighed heavily as she scrolled through her contacts to find the name she was looking for.

######################################

"Diana, what...are these?" Barbara pulls out the new pair of shoes from their box sitting on Diana's bed. She held them with two fingers as far away from her body as she could, as if she'd get some sort of disease if she got too close.

The blonde was standing in front of her full length mirror fixing her hair for what seemed like the tenth time. She glanced at what Barbara was holding in the reflection with bobby pins in her mouth.

"She went shopping to impress her girlfriend." Hannah remarked cheekily as she was playing on her phone, sitting at the head Diana's bed. She missed an icy glare from the heiress in the reflection of the mirror.

"Akko messaged me and told me to wear something comfortable. Nothing in my wardrobe seemed to meet those particular perimeters." The blonde finished with her hair and turned back and forth in the mirror, inspecting her work before turning around and shrugging. "So I bought a few things."

"Sooo...the converse shoes and flannel shirt have nothing to do with impressing Akko then?" Hannah arched her eyebrow at Diana.

"They're comfortable." The blonde growled through clenched teeth.

"I never said they weren't." Hannah smiled innocently at a glaring Diana, tilting her head.

"Just give me those." She walked over and snatched the shoes out of Barbara's hands, picking up the rest of her outfit on the way. "I'll be out shortly." She grumbled over her shoulder before entering her bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

"Aww...go easy on her Hannah." Barbara giggled. "She's in love."

"I know, Barb. I just wish she'd admit it. You know? We're her friends."

Before Hannah had the chance to pout for too long, her phone began to ring. The number was one she didn't recognize, but she shrugged and answered quickly anyway.

"Hello"

" _ **Hey there, ging...uh...Hannah. Hi. This is...Amanda."**_

"...How did you get my number?" Hannah glanced at a curious Barbara and mouthed 'Amanda'.

" _ **That's really not important right now. Look, we need your help. Like right away."**_

"With?"

" _ **Akko and Diana's date. We're decorating the-"**_

"Decorating?" Hannah said excitedly. "So you know what Akko has planned?"

" _ **Yeah, uh we are dec-"**_

"Yes, we'll help."

" _ **But I didn't ev-"**_

"Where?" Hannah interrupted once more.

" _ **My house, bu-"**_

"Okay, see you soon."

She ended the call quickly as the bathroom door opened and Diana stepped out. Hannah and Barbara's jaws dropped as the blonde turned in a slow circle.

"So?" She asked nervously.

"You look absolutely amazing!" Barbara shouted in glee.

"Yeah, those clothes really suit you, Diana. You can totally pull off anything. I'm super jealous." Hannah jokingly pouted before flashing a genuine smile at her friend. "Akko's going to love it."

The blonde couldn't help but light up at he comment. She smiled brightly at her friends before turning around to give herself a once over, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a giddy little girl. Hannah and Barbara glanced at each other and grinned after seeing their friend so happy.

"Well, Diana. Barb and I actually have a thing to get to. So if you don't need us for anything else, we'll be going." Hannah stood up from the bed and straightened out her clothes.

"Oh? What are your plans tonight girls?" Diana asked curiously.

"A thing." Hannah simply stated once more, not changing her stone expression.

The blonde narrowed her eyes suspiciously and turned to Barbara. She could crack Barbara. She was never as strong willed as Hannah, and therefore, much easier to get information out of.

"Barbara, what are your plans for the evening?" Diana asked, eyebrows raised.

"...A thing." She squeaked out, her voice betraying herself. The blonde opened her mouth to speak once more but was cut off.

"Okay! Have fun Diana!" Hannah sang over her shoulder as she grabbed Barbara and they quickly exited the room, leaving a shocked Diana behind them.

"You really need to work on your poker face, Barb." Hannah mumbled as they exited the apartment and began walking down the hall.

"She has this look Han, I just...I can't lie when she gives me that look!" The black haired girl whined as they reached the elevator.

The elevator opened immediately before they had the chance to push the button. A familiar brunette stood there staring back at them, holding a bouquet of white roses and fidgeting nervously.

"Oh, h-hey guys...girls. Hey girls." Akko winced at her stuttering and she stepped out into the hallway.

Hannah and Barbara looked her up and down and then glanced at the bouquet. To the brunette's surprise, they both gave her small smiles and approving nods before rushing past her into the elevator before it closed.

"Hello, Akko." Hannah said over her shoulder.

"Have fun." Barbara turned around and winked.

"Oh...o-okay. Th-thanks!" Akko raised her voice as the doors closed. She turned and began making her way down the hallway toward Diana's door. "Calm down Kagari, you can do this." She mumbled to herself. "Just breath, just breath."

She made it to the door and stopped in front of it. Taking a few deep breaths, she brought her hand up to knock and paused. Akko took a few more deep breaths, and then a few more, and a few more. That is when she realized she might be having a slight panic attack. Groaning to herself she stepped away from the door and turned around.

"Come on! You can do this!" The brunette growled at herself. "She wants to go on a date with you!" She started pace back and force. "This gorgeous amazing woman wants to go out with you." She mumbled. "She made out with you for god's sake just knock on the door!" Taking one last deep breath she turned toward the door once again. Akko froze in place when she realized the door was now open, and a very amused looking Diana was leaning against the door jam, staring at her.

"Gah!...uh...how m-much...how much of that did you hear?" She managed to squeak out.

"Enough." The blonde grinned mischievously.

"I'm sorry...I was just...holy shit you look hot!" Akko's eyes grew wide when she noticed what Diana was wearing for their date. The first thing she noticed was her hair, which was styled in a long braid laying on the front of her shoulder. Further down, she was wearing a simple low cut white tank top under a blue and black flannel long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Even further down, she wore tight black jeans which were slightly worn, and finally a pair of black and white converse shoes.

Diana giggled quietly as the brunette looked her up and down in awe.

"See something you like?" The blonde smirked and leaned her head against the door frame.

"You." Was all Akko could say as she nodded slowly and swallowed dryly. "You are so beautiful, Diana."

The blonde was taken by surprise at the genuine admission and felt the temperature rise in her cheeks. The corners of her mouth upturned into a shy smile as she stared into crimson eyes.

"These are you for you." Akko stared back with her own shy smile as she moved forward to give Diana the bouquet of roses.

"Thank you, Akko. They're beautiful." Diana said barely above a whisper. She brought the flowers up to her nose and smelled the wonderful fragrance. "Will you come in for a moment while I put them in a vase?"

Akko nodded with a grin and followed the blonde into her apartment. It only took Diana a minute to pull out a beautiful crystal vase and set the flowers in it. When the flowers were taken care of, they made their way down to the parking garage making small talk, asking each other how their day had been. After walking through the last door together, Diana stopped abruptly, noticing that there was no car waiting for them.

"Akko, where is..." She trailed off as she looked around for a car that she may have missed. Then she saw it. A bright red scooter parked in the closest visitor parking stall. The blonde knew it did not belong to anyone living in the building, in fact, no one living in the building would ever even think of getting on a scooter. She hadn't, until just now.

"Is that..."? Diana slowly brought her hand up to point at the Vespa.

Akko narrowed her eyes, following the direction of the pointed finger with her gaze.

"Oh, yeah. That's mine. Good old shooting star." The brunette smiled proudly.

"You have a scooter?" The blonde whispers in disbelief. "You picked me up on a scooter?!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 _It's A Date!_

"You have a scooter?" The blonde whispers in disbelief. "You picked me up on a scooter?!" She asked a little louder, finally finding her voice again.

"Well, yeah. I wasn't going to bring my bike." Akko snorted. "Don't worry, I have a helmet for you and everything. Come on." The brunette gestured toward the scooter and began walking.

"Unbelievable." Diana mumbled to herself, looking up to the ceiling of the garage. She took a deep breath before forcing her self to move her feet to where Akko was excitedly waiting for her, already holding out a spare helmet. She took the object and stared at it for a moment. It was a plain black helmet, thankfully not unlike the riding helmet she would use when she rode her horses back home. She put it on carefully as to not ruin her hair too much as the brunette looked on in amusement, stifling a giggle.

"Ready?" Akko asked as she mounted the scooter and started it. The engine roared to life underneath her.

"How do I...uh..." Diana trailed off as she approached slowly.

"Just hop on and hold onto me. Pretty simple." The brunette smiled cheekily. She was enjoying this. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought this through before she took the cover off of her scooter for the first time in a long time. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"Right..." The blonde finally swung her leg over the back of the scooter and sat down, putting her feet on the extra foot rests.

"Alright hold on!"

Diana let out an undignified squeak as the scooter jolted forward, causing her to immediately reach around Akko's waist tightly, and in turn leaning the front of her body flush up against the brunette's back. Akko chuckled loudly as she went a little faster now, making their way out of the parking garage and in the direction of their first destination.

* * *

' _Knock knock knock'_

Upon hearing the knock, Amanda quickly stood up from the patio table and walked in through the already open back door, hurrying to the front of the house. She stopped momentarily at the mirror on the wall to take a once over of herself, winking at her reflection when she was satisfied and taking a deep breath before opening the front door. Hannah and Barbara stood side by side on the porch, the former looking thoroughly annoyed as usual.

"Hey. Thanks for coming. We were really screwed there for a minute." The redhead flashed a charming smile at the two girls.

"Oh, yeah. You're...welcome. Or whatever." Hannah shifted uncomfortably. "So..."

"Oh! Right, come in!" Amanda moved to the side to allow them entry before shutting the door. She gestured for them to follow her as she made her way through the house. "We need help out back. None of us really know how to pull off this romantic shit. And I figured you two would be more...knowledgeable?"

"W-well, I don't know about that. But we do know Diana and what she likes, so I suppose that's something." Hannah tried to reassure the redhead.

"Yeah! But we'll need to know the plan first...just to...uh...keep in mind. While we help." Barbara was itching to find out what Diana would be going through tonight, and she was a very impatient person.

"I'll get to that while we-" Amanda began.

"Hi Lotte!" The black haired girl waved excitedly at Lotte as they passed through the door into the back yard. Barbara skipped to the other side of the patio.

"Barbara! Hi! Thank you so much for coming!" Lotte stood up to greet the newcomers.

"Just so you know, Amanda, I'm more of a supervisor than a laborer." Hannah said haughtily as she walked past the redhead, following her friend.

"I'm more of a supervisor meh meh meh meh." Amanda quietly mocked out of Hannah's earshot, flailing her arms as she followed. "Akko so owes us."

* * *

The sun was setting on the Luna Nova hockey field as a little red scooter pulled into the empty parking lot adjacent to it. It came to a stop in front of the cement path leading to the bleachers and sidelines. Diana was the first to get off as Akko was keeping it steady for her. The brunette followed after and nudged the kickstand out with her foot.

"So what did you think?" The brunette asked as she chuckled and took off her helmet.

"It was...an experience." The blonde replied breathlessly, trying to undo her chin strap. "What are we doing here?" She mumbled, still struggling with her chin strap.

Akko giggled while she reached up and grabbed Diana's shaky hands with her own, pushing them gently back down to the blonde's sides.

"Let me help." The brunette whispered, smiling fondly at the adorable pouting girl in front of her. "This is the first stop of our date." She finished with the straps and gently pulled the helmet off of Diana's head. She set it next to her own on the scooter before taking the blonde's hand in her own and leading her to the field.

Although it wasn't completely dark yet, the quickly setting sun made it hard for Diana to see just where they might me going. She scanned the empty field skeptically, taking quick sideways glances at the happy girl next to her. The blonde was amazed at the size of the field once they stepped onto it and began walking toward one of the goals. After a few minutes of silent walking, Akko stopped and turned to the blonde, a grin never leaving her face. Diana raised an eyebrow at her in a silent question. Suddenly the blinding lights above the field came to life, lighting up everything in the immediate area and beyond. The blonde blinked rapidly, willing her eyes to adjust to the newfound bright light. Once they did, she looked around where they were standing. Two hockey sticks lay on the ground at their feet, and a bag of hockey balls next them. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked back up to the waiting brunette curiously.

"I thought we could play a friendly game of hockey." Akko smirked as she picked up one of the sticks and held it out for the blonde, who hesitantly took it from her. "With certain terms, of course."

"And these terms are...what exactly?" Diana arched an eyebrow.

"Well, for each goal you score, you get to ask me a question." The brunette leaned down to grab a ball out of the bag. "Any question you wish, and I'll answer." She through the ball down onto the grass. "And it'll be the same for me. The first person to five points wins."

"I see. And what does the winner get when the game is over?" Diana asked, a smile now starting to show on her lips.

"The winner," Akko paused dramatically and leaned in closer to the blonde. "gets a kiss from the loser."

Diana gigglesdat the brunette's antics, bringing her hand up to her mouth and turning away slightly.

"Now that..." The blonde put her arms around Akko's neck and pulled her in closer. "is something..." She leaned in close to the brunette's ear. "worth losing for..." Diana nibbled on the shell, making Akko shiver violently under her touch. She chuckled and pulled away from the brunette, who was closing her eyes tightly and had a strong hold on her hockey stick, so much so that her knuckles were a bright white.

"That's...that's not fair." Akko finally breathed out as she opened her eyes. "You can't just...do that!" She said a little louder, voice cracking.

"Oh? I wasn't aware there were any rules." Diana grinned mischievously.

"Well, technically...there isn't I guess." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck.

"Perfect. Now let us begin, Kagari. We don't have all night." The blonde walked up to the ball and winked in Akko's direction.

"Are you sure you don't need any pointers on how to handle that stick, Cavendish?" The brunette's playful retort fell on deaf ears as Diana swiftly knocked the ball past the brown haired defender and took a shot at the goal, placing it perfectly between the vertical posts. Akko could only watch in pure shock as the blonde sauntered back to her with a smirk on her face.

"One to nothing." Diana said as she passed by and leaned over to pick up another ball out of the bag.

"Wha…? How…?" The shocked girl couldn't get a complete sentence out.

"Now now, Akko. It is my turn to ask a question, is it not?"

The brunette nodded before clearing her throat, trying to collect herself.

"Yeah, of course. Go ahead and ask away." A smile found it's way back onto Akko's face.

The blonde only had to think for a second as she had already thought of many questions to ask Akko over the past couple of weeks.

"What are you majoring in?"

"Well, I uh….haven't officially declared anything, but I'd like to major in music theory and composition. I love writing music." Akko looked down at her feet shyly. Sometimes she felt so small next to Diana, the prodigy. The brunette had done some research after meeting the blonde and was so amazed at her accomplishments. She had been accepted into school of medicine and was now gaining a master's degree in oncology. And they were the same age. How did she handle it all?

"Well from the little I've heard, you are very good at it, Akko." The blonde smiled reassuringly.

Akko smiled back as they switched places so the brunette was on the offensive now. Before Diana could get fully set, Akko hit the ball in between the blonde's legs and spun around her before shooting the ball successfully into the empty net.

"One to one." The brunette said cheekily as she walked back to Diana. Without allowing the blonde to respond, she blurted out her question. "Where in the hell did you learn to shoot like that?" Diana chuckled at her lack of elegance.

"I played a little when I was very young. Not officially, mind you. I convinced my mother to set up a small field on our estate." The blonde smiled fondly at her memories and then looked at Akko in contemplation before continuing. "I may have been a fan of the France women's national team."

"What?!" Akko squeaked. "You were a fan of Cha-"

"One question at a time, Akko." Diana cut her off as she clicked her tongue and grinned at the brunette's giddiness.

Akko nodded quickly as she got into her defensive stance without another word. The blonde began to move, hitting the ball softly to her right first before the brunette over took her and stole it away. Quickly and with very little effort, Akko shot the ball into the goal once more.

"You're a fan of Chariot?!" She shouted immediately.

It happened so quickly, Diana almost had whiplash just watching her. Before she could regain her focus, the brunette was already right in front of her, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.

"I...uh...yes. I suppose I was." The blonde breathed out. "She was very popular back then, after all."

"I can't believe it!" Akko exclaimed, giggling. "I just...that is just...that is just amazing. Diana Cavendish, Chariot fan." She finally said, calming down a little.

Diana sent a glare at the giggling brunette before quickly shooting another ball into the goal without her noticing.

"Two-two."

"What?" Akko stopped giggling immediately and turned to confirm that the blonde had indeed just scored. "Ah...playing dirty. I can respect that." The brunette flashed a lopsided grin. "So, what's your question?"

Diana crossed her arms and drummed her fingers on her bicep as she thought. She needed something good, something embarrassing, something...and then it hit her. Something that Amanda had said two weeks ago at the bar.

"Have you ever had a sexual dream about me, Akko?" Diana asked this with the straightest face she could muster.

"What?!" The brunette's eyes shot open as wide as they possibly could and her jaw dropped. She backed away slowly, absolutely horrified at the question. For a whole minute, all she could manage to get out were 'uh' and 'um' and unintelligible mumbles. "Yes." She finally whispered, wringing her hands.

"What was that?" Diana put a hand to her ear.

"Yes! Okay? Yes! I have!" Akko said, a little louder than she had meant to. Her face and ears were now the same color as her crimson eyes, and she brought her hands up to hide that fact.

The blonde tried to hold in her chuckle, but she could not suppress a satisfied grin. She felt a little guilty at the distress she cause, though. But not guilty enough to keep her from one more question.

"Could you elaborate on that, Akko?"

"No..." The brunette groaned into her hands. "I am so going to get you back for that." Akko finally said in a playful manner, taking her hands away from her face after getting over her embarrassment.

They both laughed loudly as they switched positions once more. The game dragged on a little longer than it probably should have as the two girls spent more time engaged in conversation than actually playing the game. Akko learned that Diana had a competitive streak that could rival her own when she ended up on the ground twice trying to defend against the blonde's attacks. And Diana learned that Akko's pouting was probably the most adorable thing she had ever seen. They each asked their remaining questions, in which they found out that they had been each other's first kiss and that they we were both virgins. The last thing they learned was just how red they could both get from utter embarrassment.

The score was now tied once more, and Akko was on the offensive.

"I do believe you're going to owe me a kiss after this next goal, Cavendish." The brunette grinned before she threw the ball down in front of her and hit it gently back and forth with her stick.

"Maybe." Was the blonde's only response.

Akko quickly hit the ball to her left and ran after it. Diana made no move from the spot she stood, electing just to watch this time. The brunette ran toward to the goal and shot it in easily. She kept running as she let out a cheer and put her arms out to her side. This reminded the blonde of the cute picture she had seen of Akko on the very first day they met. She smiled brilliantly and giggled as Akko started to run a big circle around her still cheering.

"And Atsuko Kagari scores the game winning goal!" She yelled, trying her best to imitate a man with a deep voice. "And the crowd goes wild! Haaaaaaaa!"

Diana was laughing loudly now with both hands over her mouth and tears forming in her eyes. This was a memory the blonde would surely never forget. Because that was the exact moment that she had fallen head over heals in love with Atsuko Kagari. Diana slowly ceased her laughing when Akko slowed to a walk, making her way back to the blonde.

"So, I guess you...nnn" The brunette was cut off when the blonde immediately captured her lips in a deep kiss. Akko dropped her stick immediately and set both hands on the back of Diana's neck and pulled her closer. The blonde moaned quietly into the brunette's mouth at the action, and moved her hands to Akko's waist, capturing a handful of t-shirt and tugging the brunette close.

Both needing air, they pulled away from each other and gasped.

"Did you..." The brunette paused as she caught her breath. "Did you let me win so you could do that?"

"I did." The blonde chuckled. "I couldn't wait anymore." She said weakly. After a few more breaths she continued. "We were just delaying the inevitable. You were going to win anyway."

Akko giggled at that. She had taken it quite easy on the blonde and she knew it.

"You know, that's the beauty of this little game. We both win in the end." The brunette gave the blonde a small smile before leaning in and connecting with Diana's lips once more.

* * *

Behind the bleachers, two woman sat on a blanket laid out on the grass and watched little game of love happening on the field before them. The blue haired woman sat under an electrical box which stored the switches that controlled the bright lights to the large area. The lilac haired woman sitting next to her was snacking on popcorn from a bag that she had brought from their home.

"If all hockey games were like this, I'd probably show up to your team's games more often."

"Croix..." Ursula nudged Croix in the ribs and chuckled. "I think it's adorable. They are so cute together."

"Yeah, isn't it really weird how much they resemble us at their age though? The genius and the jock?" The lilac haired woman joked and winked.

"Seriously, Croix?" Ursula arched her eyebrow and sighed.

"Seriously, my love." Croix smirked and kissed the back of the blue haired woman's hand.

"A little full of ourselves are we?" Ursula asked as she arched her brow and took some popcorn.

"You knew what you were getting into when you kissed me all those years ago."The lilac haired woman chuckled.

"Riiight… oh look! They're going to kiss!" Ursula clasped her hands together in front of her chest as she watched Diana take Akko in a passionate kiss. "Aww...young love."

"This is better than anything we've seen on TV lately." The lilac haired woman popped a few more pieces of popcorn in her mouth. "So when are you going to tell her, Chariot?"

"What?! I'm not going to tell her. Ever!"

"Oh come on." Croix laughs. "It's just one little picture."

"A picture of me...in a bikini...above her bed. It's a miracle I can even look her in the eyes anymore without turning as red as a lobster." Ursula grumbled, stealing some popcorn.

"I'd put that poster above our bed if you'd let me." Croix mumbled quietly

"No."

"You should be flattered, really. The kids think you're hot enough to-"

"Stop! Don't you ever even think about saying that again." Ursula chastised her girlfriend.

"I just hope I don't 'accidentally' let it slip one day."

"Don't you dare!"

"Oh the look on both your faces will be priceless." Croix chuckles.

Unfortunately it was too late for the lilac haired woman to move out of the way when she noticed a hand swiftly moving toward her face.

' _Slap!'_

* * *

"Akko, did you hear that?" Diana stopped abruptly on the cement path leading to the parking lot.

"Yeah, like a...slapping noise?" Akko turned and looked around the field before shrugging. "Huh. Oh well."

The two girls walked hand in hand back to the awaiting scooter, putting on their helmets and readying themselves for travel again. The blonde secured her chin strapped and got an idea. A horrible idea if she was being honest. But her game with the brunette had invigorated her. Tonight she didn't have to be worried about her name or her status. She didn't have to worry about prying eyes and judgments being made. Tonight she was with Akko, and only Akko. The girl she loved, the girl who has had a glimpse of this rare side of Diana and welcomed it with opened arms. Feeling bold, she turned to the brunette who was finishing with her own chin strap and smiled at the sight of Akko's tongue sticking out at the corner of her mouth in concentration.

"Akko?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you teach me how to drive your scooter?" Diana's smile turned pleading.

"You want to...drive my scooter? For real?" Akko blinked back at her in shock. She was met by excited nodding. "Okay. Sure!"

"Really?" Diana's brilliant smile grew wider than the brunette had ever seen it before. The blonde lunged at Akko, wrapping her up in a tight hug making her giggle in delight.

"O-okay. Let's uh...uh Diana, you're gonna have to let go of me first." The brunette squirmed a bit in the blonde's arms.

"Oh...my god, Akko," The blonde let go immediately and took a quick step backward, putting her hands behind her back. "I apologize."

"It's okay, Diana." The brunette chuckles. "Go ahead and hop on."

Diana did as instructed and climbed on, sitting on the seat toward the front. Akko proceeds to tell her everything she needs to know about driving it. Luckily it had an automatic transmission, so it was mostly the basics she had to learn, which were easy enough. Accelerate, brake and balance.

"Alright, are you ready?"

"I...think so." Diana replied nervously.

"You'll do fine, Diana. I believe in you." Akko smiled reassuringly. "Now first things first. Fire it up!"

The blonde gave a determined nod as she turned the engine over. The brunette gave her a thumbs up before backing up out of the way.

"Now slowly accelerate." Akko shouted over the engine.

Diana did exactly that. She wobbled a bit at first but as she went faster, her balance found itself again. It was easier than she had thought it would be. The blonde cheered and laughed out loud as she zigzagged through the parking lot, not missing the opportunity to circle the brunette a few times.

Akko watched the blonde with a goofy grin. Diana's laughs and giggles had become her most favorite thing in the world to listen to. It was music to her ears. This care free side of the blonde was so damn adorable. She was beautiful. She was amazing. She was... **driving away**. While Akko was lost in her thoughts, Diana had stopped circling and was now headed toward the outlet to the main road.

"Hey! Where are going?!" Akko yelled as loud as she could. But if the blonde had heard her, she made no indication as she pulled out onto the main road and proceeded to drive away. "What the..." She watched until Diana was out of sight. "She just...she just left me! She left me here!"

The brunette began to pace back and forth before pulling out her phone. She began searching through her contacts, but before she found the one she was looking for, she heard the familiar sound of her scooter engine coming closer and closer. Relief washed over her as the blonde came into sight. She had come from the same direction that she left, most likely making a u-turn while she was out of sight. Diana turned into the parking lot and slowed to a stop in front of Akko.

"Hey there gorgeous. Why don't you hop on so I can give you a ride on this shooting star." The blonde smirked and gave an exaggerated wink.

The two girls broke out into laughter in unison. It took a few minutes for the brunette to calm down enough to get any words out. She wiped a few tears away from her eyes before she spoke.

"Oh my..." Akko trailed off as she giggled once more. "I'll bet you say that to all the girls." She tried to pout but she couldn't seem to erase the smile that was plastered on her face.

"Only the beautiful hockey playing ones." Diana chuckled and jerked her head, gesturing for the brunette to get on seat behind her.

"Alright alright." Akko rolled her eyes playfully. "Are you sure you can handle someone riding behind you?" She asked as she threw her leg over the back of the scooter and sat down. "It's a little diff-"

The scooter lurched forward as Diana began to accelerate unexpectedly. Much the same as the blondes reaction earlier, Akko immediately wrapped her arms around Diana's waist to keep from flying off of the back, resulting in the scooter wobbling a bit before straightening out. The brunette could feel Diana's body shaking up and down in silent laughter in front of her. 'Oh god, we are going to die' she thought in the midst of her rising panic.

"So where are we going now?" The blonde yelled to the girl behind her.

"My house." Akko yelled back.

The blonde only nodded in response. The brunette spent the rest of the ride in terrified silence except for the occasion yelp and squeal at Diana's erratic driving. Luckily, the girls and shooting star arrived back to the house unscathed. The blonde turned into the driveway and accidentally came to an abrupt stop, jarring Akko's weight forward, almost carrying them up and over the handle bars.

"Oops." The blonde muttered. The brunette was silent behind her, still holding her very tight, uncomfortably tight. "Akko? Are you alright?" She asked, trying to twist her body around.

"Eh?" Akko squeaked.

"You can let go now."

"Oh, right. Yeah." The brunette spoke in a high pitched voice. She loosened her hold on Diana realizing that she hadn't let go, and that her palms were very sweaty. Akko slowly stood up and swung her shaking leg over the scooter. "O-okay. You can stand up and put the k-kickstand down."

"Alright." The blonde stood up and swung her own leg over, bringing down the kickstand before continuing. "That was a rush." She said breathing a little heavily.

"You're not wrong..." Akko mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" The brunette said a little too quickly. "So let's get going then." She held out her hand for the blonde to take which she did.

"Akko, are you sure you're alright? You're shaking."

"I'm fine, really. Let's go." Akko pulled Diana along to the side of the house where there was a gate to the backyard.

Once the girls were through the gate, they could see that the yard was seemingly glowing, cutting through the darkness. When they rounded the corner, they both froze at what they saw. Every large tree growing in the backyard had a string of lights winding up the trunks. The usually dark gazebo was now bathed in a soft glow, thanks to lights wrapped around the four corner posts and also the strings of light attached to the beams holding the roof in place. Under the gazebo sat a small round table, mostly likely the table from the kitchen, which had a white table cloth draped over it. On the table there were two candles with small flames rippling from the top. Diana's breath hitched at the sight.

"Akko." The blonde whispered. "This is...amazing." She squeezed Akko's hand a little tighter.

The brunette nodded in agreement before remembering Diana had no idea that Akko had nothing to do with the beautiful sight, besides the haphazard planning. She was almost brought to tears by the work that her friends had put into this to help her. She chanced a sideways glance at the blonde, grinning when she saw a brilliant smile on her face. She tugged gently on Diana's hand and led her over to the table, pulling out the chair for her.

"Thank you." The blonde giggled shyly.

Just shortly after Akko pulled her own out and sat down, soft music filled air from speakers above them, recently installed in the corners of the gazebo. Akko recognized them as the same speakers that used to hang in Constanze's basement workshop. Someone came through the door from inside the house. The two girls looked over and saw Amanda walking toward them holding a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.

"Amanda?" Akko's eyes went wide. "Why are you all dressed up?"

Amanda wore her fitting dark gray suit pants along with a light gray suit vest over a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. And on her feet were her signature red converse shoes.

"Ah, that. Well you see Akko," The redhead started as she arrived at the table. She put the glasses down and began to fill them. "I was strongly urged to dress up by a red haired Hitler." Amanda gave the confused girls an exaggerated smile before continuing. "I'll be right back with your first course." She set the wine on the table and turned to walk back into the house.

"A red haired...what?" The brunette whispered to her self before turning back to her date who looked just as confused.

"If I'm being honest, that kind of sounds like Hannah." Diana said playfully before taking a sip of her wine making Akko snort and giggle into her own wine glass.

"Well, if anyone could terrify Amanda enough to get her to dress up, it'd be her." The brunette giggles once more.

Amanda once again stepped through the door and walked toward their table with two plates in hand. She set the first one in front of Diana and the second in front of Akko.

"Chef Jasminka presents to you..." Amanda trails off before looking at her hand, reading something she must have written. "Greens with oranges and sesame-ginger dressing. Enjoy." The redhead retreats, once again leaving the two girls alone.

"Akko, did you really plan all of this?" The blonde asked as she looked around and then down at her plate, eyebrows raised.

"Heh. It was something along the lines of...this" Akko chuckled and raised her hands and gestured in the general area around them. "They definitely outdid themselves though." She whispers, smiling down at her food. "It's official, I have the best friends in the world." The brunette said loudly so the girls inside could hear her.

"Yes, you do." Diana agreed before taking a bite of her salad. "But-"

"Hey! What are we? Chopped liver?! We're good friends!"

Diana and Akko jumped, turning their heads quickly toward the door leading into the house. An angry auburn haired girl was being dragged back into the house by Amanda.

"Hannah?" The two girls said in unison, eyes wide.

"Heh heh. Just go back to your meals! Forget you saw anything!" The redhead said over her shoulder after successfully shoving Hannah back through the door.

"What in the world?" Diana muttered as she stared at the door they had disappeared through.

"The red haired Hitler. It was Hannah!" Akko whispered loudly, covered her mouth as she laughed hysterically.

Diana shook her head and chuckled before taking a long sip of her wine.

"So apparently we have an audience." The blonde mused aloud.

"Does that surprise you?" The brunette asked completely seriously with her eyebrows raised.

"No," Diana giggled. "No it doesn't."

It didn't take very long for them to finish the first course of their late dinner. Amanda greeted them once more with their second course, but this time she was followed by Constanze who gathered up the empty plates before the red head set down the new plates of food.

"And for your second course we have Coq au vin." The redhead stated.

Akko eyed the dish warily before looking back up to Amanda.

"Coq a what?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I just bring the food." The redhead simply said before turning and leaving.

"Well I'm not leaving you a tip then." Akko yelled after her, which was only met with Amanda flipping her the bird over her shoulder.

"Akko, it's chicken in wine sauce." Diana said after giggling at the exchange.

"Well then why not just say that?!" The brunette yells again in the direction of the door. "Chicken in wine sauce." She grumbled under her breath, cutting into the chicken on her plate.

Diana took a slow sip of her wine, smiling into her glass at the adorable girl in front of her. She lowered it and put in on the table, but her smile never left her face. Akko, noticing the silence, looked back up at the blonde and saw the amused smile on her face.

"Oh, sorry." The brunette blushed a bit.

"It's fine." Diana assured her. "You and Amanda have quite the dynamic."

"Yeah, well, she's my best friend. It's all in good fun." Akko sipped on her wine. "Most of the time." She mumbled under her breath. "So I forgot to ask, what are you going to London for? You said it was urgent, is there something wrong?"

"Oh, well I'm not exactly sure. I'm to attend a very important board meeting, but I don't know much else right now." The blonde finished what was left of her wine in one big gulp. "My aunt and I aren't on great terms. I thought it better not to ask."

"Hmm." Akko nodded her head. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be fine. And if you get lonely, I'll only be a phone call away." The brunette flashed a lopsided smile, making Diana chuckle.

"Thank you, Akko. Yes, I'm sure it'll be fine." The blonde smiled trying to hide her worry and took a bite of her food. "And this food is absolutely amazing."

"Yeah it was." The brunette rubbed her stomach in satisfaction.

Diana looked down at Akko's plate, and sure enough, it was completely devoid of food except for the onions. How did she finish so quickly? She opened her mouth to comment on it but decided not to. Instead she picked up the bottle of wine and poured another glass. The blonde was only able to eat about half of her food before she pushed the plate aside, not thinking that she could eat one more bite. That's when the chef herself brought out dessert. Jasminka walked up to the table and set the first plate in front of an excited bouncing Akko, and the second in front of a politely patient Diana.

"For your dessert, chocolate mousse." Jasminka smiled proudly, watching the brunette bubble over with joy at the sight of the dessert.

"Thank you, Jasminka. The whole meal was simply delectable." Diana smiled appreciatively at the chef, who gave her a happy nod in return.

"Thanks so much, Jasminka! You're the best!" Akko stood up and wrapped her friend in a tight hug.

Jasminka returned the hug and patted the brunette on the back a few times before she let go and stepped back.

"You're welcome, Akko. I hope you enjoy your dessert." Jasminka leaned down close to Akko's ear. "We are all going to a movie to give you some privacy." She whispered, making sure the blonde couldn't hear her. The brunette nodded and with that, Jasminka give them both one last smile before leaving.

"Wanna take the first bite together, Diana?" Akko grinned, fidgeting with her spoon excitedly.

"Of course, Akko." Diana giggled.

The two girls dipped their spoons into the chocolate mousse. Instead of bringing it up to her mouth, the brunette held the spoon out to the blonde, who looked thoroughly confused.

"What are you doing?" Diana's eyebrows shot up.

"This is what people do on dates right, feed each other desserts? I'm pretty sure I saw it in a movie once."

"I...don't know about that." The blonde shifted uncomfortably and blushed slightly.

"You know you want toooo..." Akko cooed and grinned mischievously, holding the spoon closer to Diana's mouth. "We'll do it at the same time. Here..." She opened her mouth invitingly, gesturing to the blonde's own spoon.

"Why..." Diana's question trailed off, her glance flickered to the brunette's mouth and then to her own spoon. With a long drawn out sigh, she conceded. Slowly, she reached over the table and opened her own mouth for the incoming dessert. At the same time, the two girls took the chocolate mousse into their mouths. The blonde ate it silently, enjoying the sweetness more than she thought she would. But before she could swallow, she froze with her eyes shooting wide at the sound she heard next.

"Mmmmm..." Akko closed her eyes and moaned with pleasure as she ate the sweet treat. "Mmmmm...mmmmm...so good."

Diana swallowed the lump in her throat along with the chocolate mousse after hearing the oddly erotic sounds coming from the brunette. She stared as Akko took another bite and moaned again fluttering her eyelids. The blonde's heartbeat quickened as her body started to heat up. 'Is she doing this on purpose?' She thought as she continued to stare. Noticing the lack of movement, Akko stopped what she was doing and looked up to find a very red Diana across from her.

"Hey, are you okay?" The brunette's brows furrowed in concern.

"..." The blonde took another gulp of her wine, giving herself time to calm down. "I'm fine, Akko."

"Yeah you are." Akko winked.

"Really?" Diana replied flatly, arching her brow.

"Really." The brunette giggled as she finished up her dessert and let out another drawn out moan, making the blonde bite her lip and look up at the ceiling of the gazebo. "Aren't you going to eat yours, Diana?"

"Unfortunately I don't think I can take another bite." Diana said, not meeting Akko's gaze.

"Oh, I can eat it."

"NO!" The blonde yelped quickly, pulling the dessert dish out of the brunette's reach. "Uh...I might want to eat it later."

Akko narrowed her eyes a bit in suspicion while she nodded.

"Are you sure you're al..." The brunette began for hearing the new song coming from the speakers. Her face lit up considerably. "I love this song!" She whispered loudly to Diana.

For a few moments they listened to the sultry music filling the air around them. Beautifully harmonized voices joined the soft guitar in a haunting melody.

 _Take me by the hand_

 _Lead me to a place where_

Azure eyes met crimson ones upon hearing the beginning lyrics to the song. The blonde's embarrassment was long forgotten as she lost herself completely in the astonishing eyes of the girl across from her.

 _Slowly back and forth_

 _Moonlight dances on the water_

 _It's only you and me there_

 _Through the rise and fall_

Akko couldn't take her eyes off of Diana at that moment. The words in the song only encouraged the flames that had slowly been smoldering inside her since she first laid eyes on the gorgeous blonde earlier that night. She suddenly felt the need to touch her, to hold her, to be hers. In any and every way possible. She wanted to be with Diana.

 _Won't you hold me while the waves sing us to sleep?_

 _Won't you hold me while the waves rock us gently?_

 _Feel the sway beneath our feet_

 _Won't you hold, just hold, me_

Akko stood up and took a few steps around the table until she was looking down at the blonde.

"Will you dance with me?" She asked asked softly.

Diana bit her lip and nodded slowly in response. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Akko's waist, pulling her in close. The brunette set her hands on the blonde's shoulders and started to sway with the music, her eyes never leaving Diana's intense gaze.

 _Listen to the hum of silence coming closer_

 _Feel your every breath, nothing's meant to last forever._

Akko couldn't take it anymore. She closed her eyes and slowly leaned in, brushing her lips against the blondes, tugging her little closer. Diana moved her hands to the brunette's hips and dug her fingers in slightly as she shivered from the contact.

 _It's only you and me there_

' _Till the darkness calls_

Diana took Akko's teasing lips in a slow sweet kiss. The brunette reciprocated, pulling the blonde in for another, more passionate kiss. The music melted away into the background, drowned out by the sounds of their own racing heartbeats. The rhythm of their lips against each other matched their slow swaying motions to the now muffled music.

Needing air, Diana reluctantly pulled away from Akko's lips and inhaled deeply. The blonde then leaned her forehead against the brunette, trembling slightly. When she opened her eyes, she met Akko's gaze once more. The brunette brought her hand up to Diana's neck, rubbing loving circles onto her flushed cheek.

 _Won't you hold me while the waves sing us to sleep?_

 _Won't you hold me while the waves rock us gently?_

 _Feel the sway beneath our feet_

 _Won't you hold, just hold, me_

"Stay with me tonight." Akko whispered in a desperate plea.

Diana stayed silent for a moment, searching the brunette's eyes for any doubt, any hesitation, but she found none.

"You're sure?" the blonde whispered back hesitantly.

"I've never been more sure about anything." Akko whispered before leaning in close to Diana's ear. "Will you be mine, Diana?"

"Yes." The blonde breathed out, the word almost inaudible.

The brunette brought her head back quickly to get a better look at Diana's face. She was met with a brilliant smile and sparkling eyes from barely contained tears of joy.

"Really?" Akko's asked in awe. Her smile slowly grew. "You'll be my girlfriend?"

"Yes. I will." The blonde chuckled, wiping a stray tear away.

The brunette smiled at Diana. It wasn't the smile the blonde was used to, the one where it didn't quite reach her eyes. This was a new smile. Not even the smiles in her old pictures could compare. This smile was for Diana, and only Diana. And it was undeniably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Um...can I show you something, Diana?" Akko's smile suddenly turned shy as she looked down at the ground.

"Of course, Akko."

The brunette grabbed the blonde's hand and led her in through the door of the house. They turned the corner and made their way over to the piano where Akko sat down on the piano bench. She patted the seat next to her, urging Diana to sit next to her. She fumbled through some stray papers until she found what she was looking for.

"I...um...I starting writing this the day we met." Akko said sheepishly as she sat the papers upright against the music rack and began playing a slow intro. "I didn't understand at first. I thought that it was coming to me because I was in a good mood." She then started playing the first verse, a bit quicker and louder than the intro. "But, I noticed that when I was writing, the only thing I could think about was you."

Diana sat still, mesmerized by the song. She watched as the brunette's hands and practiced fingers moved back and forth on the white and black keyboard, playing a slow romantic melody. She laid her head on Akko's shoulder, making her miss a few notes.

"Damn it." She grumbled as she resumed effortlessly.

The blonde giggled and closed her eyes, letting the mood of the song wash over her. When the song slowed and was nearing the end, Diana lifted her head and looked at the brunette who was completely lost in the music until the very last note. Silence filled the room once more.

"So, uh, w-what do you think?" Akko asked as she pulled her fingers away from the piano, eyes not meeting the blonde's gaze.

"I think," Diana started as she leaned and placed a soft kiss on the brunette's cheek. "that I have no idea what I did to deserve you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 _Happy Times_

"So, uh, w-what do you think?" Akko asked as she pulled her fingers away from the piano, eyes not meeting the blonde's gaze.

"I think," Diana started as she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the brunette's cheek. "that I have no idea what I did to deserve you." She said in a low, loving voice.

Akko shivered before turning her head and claiming the blonde's lips in a short kiss. Diana pulled away quickly and looked around suspiciously at the quiet house.

"Akko, where is everyone?"

"Oh, yeah. They went to a movie to give us some private time." The brunette shrugged.

"Some...private time?" The blonde raised her eyebrow and smirked. "Did you really think that far ahead?"

"Eh?! I didn't! I...uh...well I mean, I thought about it...this...you..." Akko stuttered in panic. "I didn't presume that...you know...you'd want to...uh...do...things." She stared horrified at the blonde, who now had the look of shock on her face. "Not that you do! Want to do things, that is. Like, we could totally just...uh...cuddle...if that's what you want?"

Diana opened and closed her mouth a few times as she contemplated on which part of Akko's ramblings she wanted to address first. The ones she understood anyway. But ultimately, she thought it'd be better just to leave that mess alone, and give the already panicked girl a break. Instead, she took Akko's hand and stood up, pulling the brunette up with her. Tugging gently, she pulled Akko along, leading her to the stairs.

"W-where...uh..are we going?" The brunette asked as she stumbled a bit.

"I intend to take full advantage of this...privacy you speak of." Diana turned and smiled cheekily.

"Wha...o-oh." Akko stammered as she began to blush furiously, making her girlfriend chuckle.

The blonde's heart was quickening with every step up the stairs that seemed to never end. Was she really doing this? She shouldn't feel as comfortable with this as she does. Her body filled with warmth as they neared the top but she couldn't stop now, even if the butterflies in her stomach where somewhat overwhelming. They both stopped in front of the brunette's bedroom door. Neither of them went for the handle at first, as they both seemed to be stuck inside there own heads and nervously shuffling their feet. The blonde finally cleared her throat to get Akko's attention, making her jump slightly.

"Oh, r-right. Heh." Akko's said shyly as she reached out and opened the door, letting her girlfriend enter the room first.

Akko watched Diana carefully as she walked past her. The blonde was adorably biting her lip, making sure not to make eye contact with the brunette. Akko closed the door slowly and turned towards Diana, who was standing still in the middle of the room, facing away from the brunette and wringing her hands nervously. Akko smiled and took in her new girlfriend's perfect figure. How she got so completely lucky, she had no idea. Her gaze landed on the pale skin of Diana's exposed neck and she swallowed thickly.

With her heart trying to pound it's way out of her chest, Akko started to move slowly toward Diana, who slightly turned her head, sensing that the brunette was approaching. Akko tried to collect every ounce of courage she could muster as she reached the blonde, snaking her arms around Diana's waist. She pressed a light kiss on the exposed skin of Diana's neck, to which the blonde tilted her head, urging Akko to continue. The brunette smiled into the skin of her girlfriend's neck before exploring the newly exposed area, enjoying the quiet gasps and moans coming from the blonde. Akko reached up and took hold of the blue flannel top, pulling it open and down, sliding it off her shoulders and down her arms until it fell on it's own to the floor. Akko slid her fingertips up Diana's bare arms as she softly bit the base at the back of the blonde's neck, making her visibly shiver and moan a little louder than before.

Unexpectedly, Diana twisted around and captured Akko's lips in a rough kiss. She walked the brunette toward the bed, shoving her lightly onto it when the back of the brunette's legs couldn't go any further. Akko let out a snort and giggled as her back made contact with the mattress.

"Was I going too slow for you?" The brunette asked, amused, as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"Painfully slow, if I'm to be completely honest." Diana said in a sultry tone before climbing onto the bed, straddling Akko's hips.

The blonde began to lean down, but paused when she caught sight of something. A bikini clad Chariot stared back at her from the poster on the wall. The blonde's eye twitched ever so slightly. She reached out and peeled off each corner of the poster off of the wall, taking care not to rip the fragile paper. Akko watched in curiosity as the blonde tossed the object onto the floor next to the bed and turned back to focus her attention again on Akko. She leaned down once more, caressing the brunette's neck with her lips. The brunette's breath escaped her in a gasp, to which Diana let out a low chuckle before moving her lips to Akko's ear.

"You were driving me absolutely crazy, Akko. I just wanted to return the favor." The blonde whispered before she trailed light kisses from Akko's ear down to her jawline. The brunette let out a quiet whimper as she grabbed onto Diana's hips. Sweet kisses were being trailed further down her neck and then to her collarbone, to which the blonde traced softly with her lips. Akko let out another moan, biting her lip to try to contain the noise, before she pushed herself up abruptly into a sitting position, the surprised blonde now sitting in her lap on the edge of the bed. The brunette took Diana's lips once more in a desperate kiss, tongues clashing inside their mouths almost immediately. The blonde brought her hands up and cupped each side of Akko's face before she had to pull away for air. Both girls breathed heavily, as though they had just ran a marathon.

"Consider the favor returned." The brunette breathed out as she opened her eyes and smirked.

Diana chuckled breathlessly as she stared in beautiful crimson eyes, tracing soft circles onto Akko's cheek. 'I love you' was right on the tip of Diana's tongue. 'Is it to soon?' She thought. She was so new to these feelings, so new to having someone to actually confess her love to. In the midst of all the questions running through her head, there was one thing she was sure about. She wanted Akko. And from the way the brunette stared back at her, she wanted it too.

The blonde pulled her hand away from Akko's face and reached down, grasping the bottom of her own tank top and pulled it up over her head. Eyes not leaving the brunette's wide gaze, she held the shirt out to the side and dropped it onto the floor. Akko dug her fingers into Diana's hips a bit harder as she took in the blonde's almost bare upper body, save for the light blue lacy bra she wore.

"Wow." Akko whispered to herself, but it was loud enough for Diana to hear.

The blonde smirked when she saw the brunette lick her lips quickly. She reached down to the hem of Akko's shirt this time and pulled it up and over her head, the brunette complied and raised her arms. Diana tossed the shirt onto the floor next to her own. Giving the brunette's upper body a hungry once over, she noticed how toned Akko was, thanks to her years of training and playing hockey. Noticing the black bra she wore, she recalled something Hannah had said about black lingerie, making her grin as she traced the bra straps with her finger.

"W-what?" Akko asked, trying to control her breathing.

"Nothing." Diana giggled quietly. "You are truly beautiful, Akko." She whispered absentmindedly.

The brunette flashed the blonde a lopsided grin before she slid her arms under Diana's thighs and stood, picking the blonde up in the process.

"Wha…!" Diana gasped before beginning to laugh. "What are you doing?" She crossed her legs behind Akko and her arms tightened around the brunette's neck.

Akko turned toward the bed again and tried to slowly lower the blonde onto it, but she lost her balance and Diana fell roughly onto the mattress below her while the brunette brought her arms up to catch herself from falling on top.

"My my, Akko. If you liked it rough, you could have just told me." Diana arched her brow, trying to suppress a cheeky smile.

"What?! No! It was an accident!" The brunette panicked until she saw a smile growing on her girlfriend's face. "Heh. Sorry." Akko said shyly, looking down at the now snickering blonde. "I mean, unless you like that sort of thing, then I'm a...not...sorry?" She backtracked quickly.

Diana reached her hand up to cup the panicking girl's face.

"Akko, relax." She whispered, trying to comfort the brunette. She gently pulled Akko down into a short, sweet kiss. "Now shut up and touch me, please." She whispered, lips brushing against the brunette's.

Akko didn't need to be told twice. The simple request from Diana lit a fire within her. A fire heating up the very depths of the brunette. She greedily took the blonde's lips with her own as she began to explore the body of the girl underneath her with her fingertips, brushing over every inch of exposed pale skin. Akko noted in her head every spot she would come across that would Diana gasp or moan into their kiss, wanting remember everything about this moment. Her hand made it's way upward from the blonde's hip to the soft fabric of the light blue bra, squeezing her girlfriend's breast tentatively.

"Nnnnn." Diana broke away from the kiss and moaned in pleasure, arching her back and pushing her chest upward into Akko's touch.

The brunette continued her ministrations as she moved her lips to the blonde's neck, nibbling and kissing, making her girlfriend gasp and tremble under her touch. Diana weaved her finger's through Akko's hair and held tight as the brunette moved lower, brushing her lips over the blonde's collarbone and then traced lower along the top of her bra. Her hands reached down and began fumbling with the button on Diana's black jeans. She sat upright, still straddling the blondes waist.

"God damn button..." She grumbled under her breath.

"Do you need help with that?" Diana asked with a giggle.

"Hah! Got it." Akko looked up, smiling proudly until she saw the blonde propped up on her elbows, smiling in amusement with her head tilted. She stared in awe, taking in the beauty that lay before her. Her girlfriend, Diana Cavendish, was laying half naked in her bed. And she was staring like a fool.

"Well, aren't you going to take them off?" The blonde arched her brow.

"Ah...yeah." Akko shook her head quickly, coming back to her senses. She shifted her body lower on the bed, tugging the black pants down as she went. Diana raised her hips and then lifted her legs to make it easier on her girlfriend to get them off. Akko tossed the blonde's pants onto the floor without looking away from the light blue lacy underwear that was a perfect match to Diana's bra. Every thing about this girl was so damn perfect. She began to climb back onto the blonde when she was stopped with a hand.

"Not so fast, Miss Kagari." Diana clicked her tongue and sat up, then climbed to her knees and started to undo the button on Akko's jeans, making the brunette's breath hitch instantly. She leaned in close to the brunette's ear as she began to push the jeans down. "I can't let you have all of the fun now, can I?"

Akko only responded with a timid shake of her head and the blonde let out a low amused chuckle before continuing.

"Good. Now lay down."

The brunette did as she was told and laid back on the bed. Diana removed the blue jeans the rest of the way and dropped them onto the floor before turning back to her girlfriend. Looking her up and down, she noticed the black lacy underwear. She recognized them from the morning after the bar….incident, and smiled fondly at the chaotic memory. And again she noticed the tattoo sticking out from the top of the underwear, and she would finally get to find out what it was. The blonde ran her fingertips up Akko's lower leg, to her thigh and eventually stopped, grabbing the top hem of the black underwear and pulling down slightly, making the brunette shudder.

"Hockey sticks?" Diana asked, unimpressed.

"W-what?" Akko finally opened her eyes and looked down. "O-oh...I...lost a bet."

"I...I'm not even going to ask." The blonde said before sighing and leaning down to kiss the tattoo.

"I...uh...guess this would be a bad time to m-make the joke about being wet and shivering, huh?" The brunette giggled breathlessly.

"Honestly, Akko, you don't need to point out something I already know." Diana smirked before brushing her fingers over the center of the brunette's sensitive area.

"Nnnn!" Akko moaned loudly, arching her back and grasping her bed sheets tightly, eliciting a mischievous grin from the blonde.

Shifting her body upward again, Diana laid down beside a heavily breathing Akko who turned quickly and kissed the blonde deeply, draping her arm over her side and pulling her closer, their legs intertwining in the process. The Diana's hand found it's way to the brunette's chest, sliding under her bra, squeezing softly and brushing her fingers over the hardening bud. Akko gasped into their passionate kiss.

The brunette moved her hand from the blonde's hip to her lower stomach, finding the top of Diana's light blue underwear and slid her hand inside, finding her destination instantly.

"Gaah!" The blonde cried out in pleasure as she bucked her hips involuntarily into Akko's touch.

Not willing to be outdone, Diana abandoned the brunette's breast and brought her hand down, sliding it underneath Akko's underwear and found her most sensitive spot, to which the brunette whimpered softly and bit her lip. Soon they were in rhythm, grinding their hips together and letting out soft moans and cries between rushed kisses.

"A-Akko I-!" Diana breathed out, teetering on the edge of ecstasy as she opened her eyes to find lust filled crimson ones staring back at her. It was too much for the blonde as her muscles tensed and she was overtaken with waves of pleasure, nearly screaming at the intensity of it all.

At the sight of the blonde losing herself, Akko lost whatever self control she had been holding on to, and let herself go, bucking her hips violently in rhythm with Diana's as they rode out the waves of pleasure together. Loud moans and gasps filled the otherwise silent room until the two girls fell limp back onto the mattress with their limbs intertwined and struggling for breath. They held each other silently for what seemed like an eternity before either of them dared to speak.

"That was..." Akko trailed off as tried to find the right word.

"Amazing." Diana whispered, still trembling a bit.

"Yeah, yeah that." The brunette agreed before taking another deep breath.

The blonde chuckled weakly and kissed her girlfriend before snuggling in closer to her body. Akko pulled her in, welcoming the warmth. Diana sighed in contentment before placing sweet kisses on the brunette's neck and jawline.

"So...ah...r-round two?" Akko asked, trying and failing to keep her breathing even.

"Mmm..." Diana hummed in reply as she continued to explore the brunette's neck with her lips before she continued. "I certainly wouldn't be opposed to the idea."

"Can't get enough of me, eh?"

The blonde looked up at her girlfriend quickly with an arched brow in time to see Akko smirk and wink.

"Actually I'm feeling quite tired. I might just head home." Diana smiled cheekily as she sat up before being enveloped in a tight hold by the brunette.

"No! I was just joking! Staaaaaaayyy!" Akko whined, pulling the blonde back down to the mattress.

"Oh? Can't get enough of me, hmm?" Diana imitated her girlfriend with a smirk and a wink, making the brunette cross her arms in an adorable pout, pushing her bottom lip out. The blonde leaned in and took the lip between her teeth, making Akko moan softly. Diana chuckled before continuing. "I think it's safe to say we are both correct in our assumptions."

* * *

"Wasn't that movie so romantic?!" Barbara squealed as she followed her six friends out of the movie theater.

"So romantic! I almost cried!" Lotte said, swooning next to the black haired girl.

"Gag me." Sucy grumbled under her breath. "Lotte, that's the last time I'm letting you drag me to a movie."

Lotte only giggled at her grumpy friend and grabbed the purple haired girl's hand. Surprised, Sucy looked down at their interlocked hands and back up to a blushing orange haired girl.

"Yeah, we should have seen the justice league or something." Amanda added from the front.

Hannah quickened her pace until she was walking next to the redhead and cleared her throat.

"Yeah, I loved the wonder woman movie." The auburn haired girl said, taking a nervous sideways glance at Amanda.

"No shit? Wow, who would have thought ginger spice would be into comic book movies." The redhead smiled cheekily at Hannah, who glared at her for a split second before a neutral expression returned to her face. When the auburn haired girl didn't respond after a minute, Amanda broke the silence. "Hey, I...uh...I'm sorry about teasing you. I think it's really cool that you're into wonder woman." She tried to smile reassuringly. "I was just surprised."

"It's fine, Amanda." Hannah said, trying to suppress a grin.

"Yeah, okay." Amanda started to wring her hands together nervously.

"You looked really nice tonight, by the way." The auburn haired girl finally looked up at the redhead and smiled warmly. "You didn't have to wear those clothes to the movie though." She stated as she giggled.

"Oh, well...I mean..." Amanda rubbed the back of her neck as she looked down at her clothes. "You picked them out, and...I don't mind wearing them if you...you know…like them."

"Wait, you kept the outfit on for me?" Hannah stopped in her tracks and stared at the redhead in shock.

"What?! No! I mean yes! I mean I...ah..." Amanda trailed off, horrified at her own stuttering. 'What in the hell are you saying!' she screamed internally at herself. Now she was frozen, staring wide eyed at the auburn haired girl, who now looked thoroughly confused.

"Okay…?" Hannah turned slowly and began to walk with the rest of the girls who had caught up to them during their odd exchange.

Amanda watched for a moment as she walked away before slapping her forehead audibly.

"Stupid stupid stupid." She grumbled to herself as she began to follow the crowd.

They approached the three cars they had brought to the theater and said their goodbyes. Hannah opened the passenger side door to Barbara's car when suddenly it was slammed shut. Amanda stood there in front of her, blocking the door handle. After a minute of silence from the redhead, a bewildered Hannah broke the silence.

"Did you need something?" The auburn haired girl asked curiously.

"...I wanted to...ask if maybe you'd want to..." Amanda's eyes darted around everywhere but at Hannah. "go to the movie...ah..the justice league movie...sometime. With me."

The auburn haired girl narrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head.

"Like a date?"

"...Yes?"

Hannah's expression didn't change for a long moment. She looked over Amanda's shoulder at Barbara, who was listening to the whole conversation from the other side of the car. She was giving two thumbs and nodding enthusiastically with a very excited grin on her face. Hannah tried very hard to suppress a snort at the sight. Instead she let out a sigh and returned her gaze to the flustered redhead.

"Okay."

Amanda smiled brilliantly at Hannah's answer and balled her fists excitedly.

"Okay. Can I give you a ride home?"

"...What?" Hannah arched her brow took a glance at the car that the redhead was blocking her from.

"Oh, shit. Yeah, I mean, you live with Barbara. A never mind. Forget I-"

"Sure."

"What?!" Amanda's voice went an octave higher.

"...I said sure." Hannah said flatly.

"Right, yeah. Okay. Follow me." The redhead grinned toothily as she gestured for her to follow.

The auburn haired girl looked back at Barbara, who was trying to contain her giggles. Hannah glared at her friend, who in turn just smiled and gave another thumbs up before getting into her car. When she approached Amanda's car, she noticed Jasminka and Constanze had gotten out and were now climbing into the back of Sucy's car. They waved to her as they drove away, to which she gave a small wave back. Hannah turned when she heard a car door opening, finding the redhead waiting for her with the door open on the passenger side. She walked over and climbed in with a soft 'thank you', before Amanda closed the door and ran to the other side and climbed in to the driver's seat.

"So, where am I going?" Amanda asked as she turned the car on.

Hannah was silent at first, her face twisted in contemplation on how to answer. Did she want to go home? The answer came quickly though as she locked eyes with the girl beside her.

"I don't want to go home yet."

* * *

Diana woke up to the upbeat alarm tone on her phone blaring into her ear from the desk beside the bed. She groaned and opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times as she noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. Reaching out, she clumsily grabbed her phone and turned the alarm off and set it back down. After letting out a long yawn, the fog in her mind dissipated and she began to remember exactly where she was, what she had done the night before, and who is currently next to her naked in bed. Her eyes widened a touch as she turned her head slowly, eyes landing on the figure next to her. The brunette, who was still fast asleep, had her bare back to Diana as she was lying on her side, facing the wall. A blush overcame her face as she saw slight red marks running down Akko's back left by the blonde the night before. She covered the blush on her face with her hands, but couldn't hold back a bright smile. It had been the best night of Diana's life, if she was being honest. The date was perfect, just cheesy and unconventional enough to be Akko's doing. The blonde had never been as happy as she was last night, as she was this morning waking up next to her love. The brunette shifted and turned onto her back before slowly opening her eyes, instantly locking with Diana's.

"Mmm, good morning." Akko said in a low raspy voice and smiled sleepily.

"Good morning indeed." Diana brought her elbow up to lean on, resting her head in her hand. Her eyes flickered to the brunette's bare chest and defined abs, and then back to her face with a smirk.

"What?" Akko looked down. "O-oh. Ahem." She quickly pulled the blanket up to her chin, looking up at the ceiling as her face and ears burned red, making the blonde giggle. "So h-how long have you been awake?" She asked, still clutching her blanket tight.

"Not long. But I'm afraid I need to get up and head home." Diana said with a slight frown. "May I use your bathroom to freshen up?"

"Sure. It's just right across the hall." Akko tried to fake a smile and hide her disappointment.

Diana nodded and made to get up, only to be pulled back down to the bed. The brunette pulled her close and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before letting go again. The blonde, who didn't move, only stared into Akko's crimson eyes.

"You're going to make me miss my flight if you do that again. I already don't want to get up, and you're only making it more difficult." Diana flashed a toothy smile, eyes full of mirth.

The brunette grinned back proudly, nodding in agreement and allowing the blonde to sit up and swing her legs over the side of the bed. Diana let the blanket fall down off of her back leaving her upper body bare. Akko stared, swallowing thickly as the blonde stood up, revealing her bare bottom as she looked around for something on the floor.

"Akko, wear did you throw my underwear last night?" Diana furrowed her eyebrows as she looked.

"Ah...I'm not sure. I don't see them anywhere." The brunette mumbled, never taking her eyes off of the blonde.

"I swear I saw..." Diana turned around and trailed off when she noticed that Akko was not looking for her missing underwear, rather, she was staring in awe at her naked body. The blonde arched a brow and stared back in amusement while crossing her arms, wondering how long Akko would continue to stare. It didn't take long for the brunette do be pulled from her trance, noticing the silence and lack of movement from Diana.

"Hmm?" Akko hummed questioningly as her eyes made there way back up to Diana's, thinking she may have missed something the blonde had said.

The blonde opened her mouth to reply but paused when she saw her light blue underwear sticking out between the blanket and bed sheet just on the other side of the brunette. Diana walked to the edge of the bed and slowly climbed on and stopped when she hovered over Akko. She leaned down, lips only centimeters apart, and whispered.

"Honestly Akko, you're so incorrigible." Diana lightly brushed the brunette's lips with her own while she grabbed the underwear. Before Akko could lean in, the blonde pulled her lips away and climbed backward off the bed as the brunette let out a frustrated whine.

"That's so not fair, Diana." Akko pouted, folding her arms in a huff.

Diana only giggled while she put on her underwear and bra before collecting the rest of her clothes. Akko crawled to the edge of the bed and sat, dangling her feet over the side.

"My apologies, but I really do need to start getting ready. You know I would stay if I could." The blonde buckled her jeans and slid her tank top on before leaning over and giving Akko a quick peck on the lips. She flashed an apologetic smile before walking out of the room toward the bathroom. Diana stepped up to door and reached for the handle when it suddenly opened. Someone in a hurry ran into the blonde, making her drop the shirt and shoes she was holding.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't..." An auburn haired girl began to apologize as she bent down to pick the shirt and shoes up before she paused in a crouch and looked up. "Diana?!" She screeched, horrified.

"Hannah?!" Diana, who's eyebrows shot to her hairline, stared back in shock. "What are you doing here?" She whispered loudly, looking up and down the hall.

"Uh..." Hannah's eyes flickered around the empty hallway before continuing. "I...uh..."

Just then, the door at the end of the hallway opened and a light purple haired girl stepped out and began to walk toward them until she looked up and froze in her tracks. Sucy stared at the two girls, and they stared back awkwardly, none of them knowing what to say.

"A double walk of shame huh?" Sucy smiled evilly, making the other two girls shift uncomfortably. "You girls really do everything together don't you."

"Hey! We do not-" The auburn haired girl started before being interrupted.

"Oh! Diana and...Hannah?" Lotte poked her head out of her and Sucy's room when she heard the conversation. "Did you both stay over last night?" She asked curiously.

Diana and Hannah looked at each other for a moment, having a silent conversation when Jasminka stuck her head out of her and Constanze's room.

"Oh! Hello girls." Jasminka waved happily at the two stunned girls, who gave small shy waves back.

"Okay, okay. Break it up." Amanda intervened, pushing past Lotte and Sucy while making her way to where Diana and Hannah stood. "Get on with your day."

"They're standing in front of the bathroom like idiots. What else was I supposed to do?" Sucy asked flatly.

Amanda, Diana and Hannah all turned to see that they were, in fact, blocking the bathroom door.

"Oh, fair. Go ahead." The redhead pushed the other two girls gently out of the way as Sucy passed them and entered the bathroom. Amanda turned to face them again. "How come you didn't wake me up? I told you I'd give you a ride home."

Hannah's eyes went wide and she shook her head slightly, hoping the redhead would get the point. When Amanda only looked at her confused, she discreetly gestured toward Diana.

"I can see you doing that." Diana said as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Akko's bedroom door opened and she stepped out in shorts and a tank top but froze when she saw the three girls staring back at her.

"Hey what's...Hannah? What are you doing here?" The brunette asked before she continued to walk.

"Oh my god." Hannah put her hands to her face and groaned. "Barbara is coming to pick me up, Amanda. I didn't want to bother you."

"Oh it's not...uh...it wouldn't be a bother, really. So next time, wake me up, okay?" The redhead smiled warmly at Hannah.

Akko and Diana looked back and forth between the two girls in shock.

"You two didn't..." The brunette narrowed her eyes.

Just then, a honk came from outside the house, signaling that Barbara was there to pick the girls up.

"Oh thank god. Come on Diana. We need to go." Hannah grabbed Diana's wrist and dragged her through the hall and down the stairs.

"W-wait! I need to...Hannah let me go." The blonde said as she flailed her free arm, trying to keep her balance. She looked back to Akko pleadingly.

The brunette only giggled and walked after them, following them down the stairs and out the front door of the house. Once outside, Hannah let go of Diana and made a beeline for Barbara's dark blue Mercedes waiting by the curb. The blonde let out a long sigh before turning to Akko.

"Sorry. This...was an unexpected turn of events." Diana laughed softly.

"Yeah, it's okay."The brunette giggles again. "Well..."

The two girls stood there awkwardly, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few moments, Akko put her arms around Diana's neck and pulled her in, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

"Have a safe trip, Diana." She whispered before pulling the blonde into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Akko." Diana whispered in Akko's ear before she kissed her one more time. A honk came from the car waiting for them. "I'll message you when I get there okay?" The blonde said as she began to walk away.

"Okay!" Akko shouted and waved happily, watching Diana climb into the backseat of the blue car before it drove away, disappearing down the street.

"So I take your date ended well?"

Akko jumped at the voice behind her, twisting around to see Amanda standing in the doorway with a grin on her face.

"Oh. Yeah." The brunette blushed furiously and looked down at her feet as the memories from the night before came flooding back. "Yeah, it did."

"Well, if those hickeys on your neck tell me anything, I'd say-"

"WHAT?!" Akko screamed before she ran inside to the mirror hanging on the wall by the door and inspected her neck. She ran her fingers over the blemishes softly. "I can't believe she gave me-!"

"Akko, are those...scratches on your back?" Amanda asked with her eyes wide.

"Scratches?!" The brunette squealed as she turned around, trying to see her back in the mirror.

"Oh my god!" Amanda yelled as she starting laughing uncontrollably. "Diana's a fr-!"

"DON'T...say it. Not a word Amanda." Akko put up a threatening finger before walking away quickly and disappeared around the corner to the stairs.

"Oh, Cavendish. Who would have thought?" Amanda said to herself after she could breathe again, wiping away a few tears.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 _When It Rains, it Pours_

"So..." Barbara broke the silence as she turned her car onto the busy street close to their apartment building. The whole drive had been awkwardly silent, save for the quiet music coming from the speakers. "How were your nights?"

She was met with silence, as expected. Looking over to the passenger seat, she saw Hannah leaning her elbow on the door while holding her head and closing her eyes tightly, as if she was nursing an intense hangover. Which made sense as to why she never made it home the night before, but didn't answer any of the many questions she had for the auburn haired girl. Barbara then looked in her rear view mirror at Diana, who was sitting directly behind Hannah. The blonde was biting her lip and smiling as she looked out the window, and even from where the black haired girl was sitting, she could see the blush that had overtaken her friend.

"Ooookay." Barbara said, nodding her head. "So Diana, did you enjoy your date?"

"...Yes. It was...lovely." The blonde said as she continued to smile dreamily out of the window.

The black haired girl grinned knowingly as she pulled her car into the parking garage and parked in her reserved spot. Diana and Barbara opened their doors and began to get out but Hannah didn't move. Concerned, they both gently shook the auburn haired girl's shoulders. She jumped and let out a squeak before groaning.

"Wha..." Hannah mumbled before she opened her eyes and looked around, noticing that they arrived at their destination. "Oh." She slowly opened her door and gingerly stepped out.

"If you don't mind me asking, Hannah, what exactly happened last night?" Diana asked as she followed behind the tired girl.

"Amanda and I..." Hannah suddenly stopped her herself with her eyes growing wide. "Ahem, we...uh...had a little too much to drink." She began to walk quickly, putting more distance between her and her friends.

Barbara and Diana looked at each other in amusement as they followed after her.

"So Diana, did you…?" The black haired girl asked as she raised and lowered her eyebrows in a suggestive manor as she walked.

"Barbara!" Diana gasped and playfully slapped Barbara's arm before they both started giggling.

"So…? Come on Diana, you know I can't take the suspense!" The black haired girl pleaded, grabbing her friend's arm.

"..." Diana looked up at the ceiling as they walked through the door and turned toward the elevator. A brilliant smile appeared on her face before she answered. "Yes."

"Really?!" Barbara squealed.

"Really." Diana chuckled as she watched her friend jump up and down in front of the elevator as it opened. They stepped in and Barbara pushed the button to their floor.

"I want details!"

"Barbara, no!"

"Barbara, yes!"

"No."

"Come on!"

"Stop!"

After Diana had taken a shower and put her business suit on, she gathered her bag and the remaining things she needed for the trip, Barbara drove her quickly to the small airport, which was somewhat close since it was a small city. She pulled up to the curb and stopped the car close to the doors to the terminal.

"Thank you so much for driving me, Barbara." Diana said as she opened the door.

"You're welcome, Diana. Good luck with your aunt Daryl. And call us tonight, alright?" Barbara gave her a small wave as the blonde got out and turned around, leaning over so she could give the black haired girl a reassuring smile and nod.

"Good morning, Miss Cavendish. May I help you with your bag?"

Diana jumped, nearly hitting her head on the roof of Barbara car before she backed up a few steps and stood up straight. Turning around, she found a man in, what was no doubt, an airport uniform. He was a short and stout man with a finely trimmed mustache.

"Oh! Thank you, but I assure you it is not necessary. I only have the one." The blonde turned and walked to the open trunk of the car and pulled her bag out. She set it on the ground and pulled the handle up.

"If you insist, Miss. Here is your ticket, you will need to check in soon. I hope you have a pleasant flight." The man bowed and smiled warmly before turning around and walking back through the doors he came out of.

Diana lifted her bag onto the curb and began to walk, waving to Barbara one last time behind her before heading through the automatic doors. It was quite busy as it was the weekend, but the blonde split the scurrying travelers like the red sea, no one daring to get in her way as she headed toward the check in desk. She received many looks and heard hushed whispers from many onlookers as her heels click clacked on the tiled floor as she walked. She was easily recognized as a Cavendish due the family resemblance and the confident, authoritative way that she was taught to carry her herself with. And her expensive business suit did nothing to dissuade curious eyes, even those who had no idea who she was.

With each step, the smile that she had previously worn disappeared more and more when she began to think of why she was going to London. Her aunt had told her nothing about this meeting, but the fact that she was required to go could not be a good thing. The last time she was in London had been a little over a year ago, she had just turned eighteen. Diana was supposed to inherit the company then, but managed to negotiate and sign an agreement, making Daryl the CEO until she finished school. Her aunt was all too eager to be head of the company, not to help Diana, of course, but for more selfish reasons, she wanted the power that came with it. She had unofficially been running the company since Diana's mother passed away anyway, so it was an easy transition. The blonde had not talked to her aunt since, but they never really got along, so it didn't bother the blonde in the least.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Diana was pulled out of her train of thought and she blinked a few times as she came back to reality. She had been standing in line at the check in desk absentmindedly, not realizing that there was nobody in front of her now. The attendant at the desk was looking at her curiously while she waited for a response.

"My apologies." Diana moved forward and put her ID and ticket on the desk in front of the attendant.

"It's quite alright miss..." The woman at the desk looked at the blonde's ID. "Cavendish. It looks like every thing is in order. Your flight will begin boarding in about thirty minutes so please head through security and you may wait in the first class lounge if you wish."

"Thank you." Diana give a small nod and smile before walking away towards security, rolling her bag behind her.

* * *

Akko walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, walking straight to the cereal cupboard and retrieving her favorite cereal. She poured some cereal and milk into a bowl before sitting down to eat. Sucy and Lotte entered shortly after and began to make their own breakfast. The brunette could feel Lotte's eyes on her as she quickly ate her cereal, making a point to not look at either of her friends. The orange haired girl sat next to Akko at the table.

"So Akko, how did everything go after we left last night?" Lotte asked as casually as she could.

Akko choked on the spoonful of cereal she had just shoved into her mouth. The orange haired girl leaned over and began to pat the coughing brunette's back hard, watching in concern.

"Oh...uh...it was fine." Akko finally got out after the coughing stopped. A blush was quickly taking over her features.

"Fine? Come on, Akko. We're not stupid." Sucy deadpanned from in front of the stove as she dumped some ingredients into a frying pan.

"Akko? Is that makeup on your neck?" Lotte reached out and wiped some skin colored makeup off of the brunette's neck with her pointer finger.

"H-hey! You can't just-" Akko slapped her orange haired friend's hand away before she was interrupted by someone who had entered the room behind her.

"You covered the hickeys up with makeup?" Amanda snickered. "Be proud of those little love marks. I'm sure Diana is." The redhead winked at the brunette as she sat down across from her.

"I don't...I don't know what you're talking about." Akko began to pout, puffing her cheeks. "Why would she be proud of doing this to me? I'm sure she didn't even know-"

"Oh come on, Akko. You can't be that dense."Sucy chimed in, voice bordering on disbelief.

"She marked her territory. You...are Diana's now. And she wants everyone to know you're taken." Amanda stated before flashing an amused grin as Akko's eyes widened tremendously.

"Wha…?" The brunette's eye darted to each girl in the room before landing back on the redhead. "That…she didn't...she wouldn't..." Her brows furrowed as if she was working out some sort of puzzle. "Are you just messing with me?"

Amanda only laughed and shook her head before getting up and striding out of the kitchen without a word. She heard Sucy snickering behind her as Lotte patted her gently on the back and stood up to help the purple haired girl with the food. The blushing brunette lifted her fingers to where the marks were hidden underneath the makeup and gently brushed along her skin. She smiled and bit her lip, secretly hoping that what Amanda had said was true. She did belong to Diana, her heart had belonged to the blonde since the moment they met. Suddenly she heard the clinking of dishes behind her, making her jump. She cleared her throat and went back to eating her cereal, but she couldn't manage to wipe the permanent smile off of her face.

* * *

The flight to London was an uneventful one for Diana. She brought along her notes so she could study along the way, but she couldn't seem to focus. She tried not to think about the many reasons why she'd need to attend this meeting, she didn't want to be a nervous wreck when she walked into that board room. But the only other thing she could possibly think of, no matter how hard she tried not to, was Akko. And not just Akko, but what they had done the night before. She had blushed so hard once during the flight, that one of the flight attendants had asked her if she was okay, and that she could turn on the air above her if it was too warm. Diana did turn the air on, and she was too warm, but it had absolutely nothing to do with the cabin temperature.

The blonde hurried off of the plane when it finally landed in London. Although it is a short flight, Diana needed some fresh air due to her stress and daydreaming. Her mind wouldn't allow her relax at all and she felt fatigued already. She took the escalator down to the baggage claim area and saw a well dressed man with her name on a sign, no doubt her driver, who was waiting to take her to her next destination. She approached the man who bowed his head slightly before speaking.

"Hello, Miss Cavendish. My name is Edward, and I'll be your driver while your here in London." Edward held out an official looking document. "This is your itinerary for today and tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you, Edward." Diana smiled and took the paper from the driver's outstretched hand.

"If you would allow me, I'll take your bag and lead you to the car. Your aunt insisted that you report to headquarters as soon as possible."

"Of course. Thank you." The blonde rolled her eyes in annoyance at her aunt's orders after Edward took her bag. They began the trek to the black town car waiting at the curb just outside of the doors leading out of the airport.

The drive was slow due to the heavy traffic leaving the airport. Diana grew more impatient with every minute, fidgeting with her hands and looking out the window at the sights she's seen countless times before. She read and reread her itinerary, silently cursing her aunt for insisting she have dinner with the board that night. Although she could decline, it would be quite rude to do so. The blonde sighed quietly at her inner dilemma, before she noticed that they were approaching the familiar tall building that housed the main office to her family's company. The car slowed to a stop in front of the main entrance. Edward got out and walked to the back door, opening the door for Diana, who slid out immediately.

"Thank you, Edward." The blonde said as she straightened out her suit, getting any wrinkles out that had formed on the drive over.

"My pleasure, Miss. I'll be waiting here. When you're done, I will take you to your hotel."

After a nod and a small appreciative smile, Diana took a deep breath and walked toward the large glass doors leading into the large lobby of the office building. Once inside, she approached the secretary sitting at the big desk in the middle of the lobby. She was an older woman who had worked there for a very long time, who was practically family, and she recognized Diana instantly.

"Diana dear, it's so nice to see you again." The secretary stood up and smiled warmly at the blonde.

"Hello, Anna. It's good to see you as well."

"You can go right up, young miss. I'll let your aunt know you're here." Anna gestured toward the elevator.

"Yes, thank you." Diana walked the rest of the length of the room before entering the elevator and pressing the button to the top floor. It began to slowly rise as she shifted on her feet nervously. Once it reached the top floor, the doors opened revealing Diana's aunt, Daryl, and a man she recognized as the head of the board of directors. Daryl looked terrible, if Diana was being honest. She looked as if she hadn't slept in a week, and even her usual icy stare held no weight behind it. The blonde stepped out of the elevator to greet the two waiting figures in front of her.

"Diana. I'm glad you could make it under such short notice." Daryl droned unhappily.

"I was under the impression that I did not have a choice." The young blonde arched her eyebrow.

"Mm." The older woman only hummed before turning around swiftly and began walking away. "Come, we've much to discuss."

Diana sighed in annoyance as she watched her aunt leave and pinched the bridge of her nose. She heard the remaining figure clear his throat, reminding the blonde that she wasn't alone.

"Oh! My apologies, Mr. Williams. It's a pleasure to see you again." Diana held out her hand.

"It's quite alright alright, Miss Diana." The man briefly shook the blonde's hand before continuing. "I'm happy you were able to make it. I apologize for the urgency, but this is something that can not wait, as you will find out very soon if you'll follow me."

He began walking with the blonde following close behind him. They approached the boardroom, which you could see through a wall and door made entirely of glass. The large rectangular table in the middle of the room was already full except for the two seats awaiting Diana and Mr. Williams. As they entered, everyone in the silent room turned their attention to the blonde walking behind the head of the board. Although their expressions were ones of acceptance, as they always were, it was nevertheless intimidating. She took her seat next to her aunt at the head of the long table directly across from Mr. Williams at the other end.

"Thank you all for being here. Due to the urgency of this meeting, we will get straight to the matter at hand unless anyone has any pressing information to share first." Mr. Williams looked around the table, but when no one broke the silence, he continued. "Very good." He shuffled a few papers around on the table in front of him and then set his gaze on Diana. "What I have in front of me is the agreement signed by Diana Cavendish and Daryl Cavendish on May 1st of last year. And this agreement states that Diana signed over her right to inherit Cavendish Medical until she finished school, allowing her aunt Daryl to become and remain CEO until that time came, or until she was otherwise unfit to lead. Does this sound correct to you, Miss Cavendish?"

"Yes." Diana answered simply with a nod. She crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair with a silent sigh. Of course she knew all of this. Every word out of the man's mouth only added to her annoyance. She drummed her fingers on the arm of the leather chair as she waited for him to continue.

"And you know that if Daryl was, in fact, unfit to lead, the agreement would be null and void. Meaning you would be" Mr. Williams paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, " _strongly_ advised to take over the duties of CEO immediately." The man leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together in front of himself.

"Mr. Williams, I assure you that I am very familiar with that document. I wouldn't have signed it otherwise." Diana narrowed her eyes and set her lips in a thin line. "Now if you are quite finished, I would appreciate it if you could tell me exactly why I am here." The blonde almost cringed at the cold nature of her own voice. Growing up with her aunt as a mentor in boardroom behavior had left it's effects. Certain phrases instantly came back to her like, 'never show any weakness' and 'this is no place for emotions' or her favorite, 'Stop giggling! You are a Cavendish!'. Although Daryl's reasons for helping Diana had been somewhat for her own self interest, she was the only family the blonde had left. So Diana hung on every word, had heeded to every request, and had become a Cavendish worthy of inheriting one of the most lucrative companies in all of Europe.

"Yes, of course." Mr. Williams started. "Unfortunately, Diana, your aunt's declining health has made it impossible for her to keep up with her duties. I'm afraid the board has dec-"

"Pardon me," Diana interrupted with a finger out in front of her as she turned her surprised gaze to her aunt who had remained silent. "what is he talking about?"

"Diana, it is impolite to interrupt the head of the board." Daryl whispered, chastising her niece.

"I don't really give a damn right now. What is he talking about?" The blonde whispered back quickly, making her aunt close her eyes and let out a drawn out sigh.

"Angiosarcoma of the heart." Daryl simply stated.

Diana's eyes went wide as she took in the information. Her mother had been taken by the same rare cancer, not being diagnosed soon enough. Her heart sank instantly as she watched this woman sitting before her with a practiced neutral expression on her face, knowing she must have been an absolute mess inside. It was most likely that she was dying, as this type of cancer tended to spread very quickly.

"How long have y-" Diana was cut off by the man across from her clearing his throat, bringing the attention of the room, including the blonde, back to him.

"I apologize, Diana, but this meeting must proceed on schedule. As I was saying, the board has decided that Daryl is unfit to lead for the foreseeable future. She has graciously stepped down from the position, meaning you, my dear, will inherit Cavendish Medical as soon as you sign these documents in front of me." Mr. Williams shuffled the papers in front of him once more and stood up to make his way around the table.

"Wait! Just like that?" The blonde said, exasperated. "I'm not even done with this semester! I have finals this coming week!"

"Yes, we understand. You won't be required to move back here until next weekend. After school is over." The man continued around the table.

Diana's heart was pounding out of her chest. All of the hard work she had put in these past few years, becoming the prodigy of Luna Nova, would be wasted if she couldn't continue her studies. She wouldn't be able to see her best friends hardly at all. Barbara and Hannah would be devastated. But all of this paled in comparison to how heart broken she felt about no longer being able to see Akko as much as she'd like. After spending a euphoric night with her new girlfriend, this was a crushing blow. She was spiraling downward, becoming desperate to think of anything that could possibly give her more time.

"I have an established reputation at Luna Nova. You expect me to give up my studies all together? Surely there's-" Diana began before being cut off.

"Yes, we know of your prestigious reputation, Miss Cavendish. We aren't asking you to give up your education entirely, we are only asking you to take a short hiatus. After a year or so, you will be able to return to your studies. We have many prestigious universities around London that would be in line to take you on." The head of the board finally reached Diana, putting the documents on the table in front of her.

"There has to be some other way." The blonde whispered, eyes flickering up to here aunt's narrowed gaze, and then back down to the documents.

"I am truly sorry for the immediacy of all this, but I'm afraid there is no other way. If you refuse, you will no longer be an eligible heir and will lose any rights to this company in the future." Mr. Williams looked at Diana with apologetic eyes.

"But-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could ask you all to leave us, I would like a private word with my niece." Daryl's strong voice rang out in the otherwise silent and somber room. The request was met with silent nods and the shuffling of feet as everyone cleared the room, leaving the older and younger blondes alone.

Diana was frozen in shock. She stared down at the words on the papers in front of her, but wasn't able to comprehend a thing. Daryl watched her closely for a long moment, trying to figure out why the once proud Cavendish, the girl who has been ready to take over this company since her mother died, was all the sudden so hesitant to take over what was rightfully hers. It was concerning to say the least.

"Diana, this is what you've been working toward your whole life. The girl I used to know would have signed those documents in a heart beat." Daryl leaned a little closer and narrowed her eyes. "So why are you hesitating? Surely it can't be your education. School will always be there for you, Diana."

When the blonde stayed silent and was still unable to meet her gaze, Daryl continued to watch Diana closely with her lips pursed. She was racking her brain for any possible reason for her niece be acting so irrationally. If not school, what could possibly be keeping her from wanting to leave Luna Nova? What was so important there that she would sacrifice the rights of her family name? After a few moments of contemplation, it hit her.

"So, is there...someone you are unwilling to leave at Luna Nova? Is that was all this is about?" Daryl tried to sound sympathetic, although she wasn't sure how well it worked, because she wasn't. Diana was nothing like her, and she couldn't understand, for the life of her, why the heir would give up something so important for some fling. She was nineteen for gods sake. "Who is he?"

"What?" Diana's eyebrows shot up at the questions. "That's none of your concern."

"It is, Diana." Daryl's voice became louder. "It is my concern. You are acting like a child. And I will not let you turn your back on your family name because of some infatuation." The older woman was almost yelling now. "You are a Cavendish! Start acting like one!"

"I love her! And she is not just some infatuation!" The blonde pounded on the table in front of her as she stood up, glaring daggers at her aunt.

"Oh?" Daryl sat back in her chair unfazed with her eyebrows slightly raised. "And you would give up your family inheritance for her? Is she more important than keeping this company afloat? More important than this company that your mother worked so hard to establish up until the day she died?"

"Stop." Diana said, voice cracking as she tried to keep tears from leaking out from behind her eyes. Although her aunt's tactics were harsh, she was right. This was Diana's duty, and the fact that she even considered refusing her inheritance was unsettling. She would continue to further her family's legacy. No matter how hard it was going to be, this was her responsibility.

The blonde sat down slowly and picked up the pen laying next to the packet of papers. She began to look at each page, reading the contents and signing and dating the bottom. Daryl looked on with a pleased smirk, rocking slowly back and forth in her chair. On the last page, Diana hesitated slightly, the gravity of the situation overwhelming her. Her hand began to shake as she put the ball of the pen to the white sheet and begin to write her name one last time. When she was finished she took a deep breath and pushed the documents away from her, setting the pen on top.

"Now _that_ is the Diana I remember." Daryl nodded approvingly at the blonde girl as she pulled the papers toward herself. "I'll get a copy of this for you and give it to you at your welcoming dinner tonight." The older woman stood up and walked past Diana, who was still frozen solid in her seat. She paused before opening the door and turned to look at the blonde. "If I may give you a piece of advice about this...girl you love so much. You will be very busy for the foreseeable future and you will barely have enough time for yourself, let alone for someone else. In my opinion you should put your love life on hold until you can handle the pressures that come with being the CEO of your company." Daryl put her hand on the handle of the door before continuing. "It wouldn't be fair to her to be competing with the company for your attention, now would it? We both know who would lose there, don't we."

The woman finally turned the handle and exited the room, leaving Diana sitting alone at the large table that she would soon become very familiar with. She looked around the room that reflected her soul at that point. Empty and cold. Soon she would be leaving everything that was important to her behind to fulfill her destiny. This should be the happiest day of her life, but all she could manage to feel was heartbreak. She stood up on suddenly wobbly legs and began her slow trek to the elevator. She flashed fake smiles at the few lingering board members who congratulated her on her new position and shook their hands before leaving.

She made it to the car quickly, avoiding anymore attention, and her driver took her to her hotel. She slept for the few hours of downtime that she had, making up for the lack of sleep from the night before. When she woke and checked her phone, she had an unread message from Akko. She stared at the phone for a few minutes before setting it back on the nightstand without opening the message. She wasn't ready to respond to her girlfriend, not until she decided what she was going to say. She couldn't get emotional now, not when she had a dinner to go to. She was the CEO now. What would everyone think if their nineteen year old leader showed up to the party with red puffy eyes? At this point, she needed as much respect as possible for a smooth transition into her new role.

"You're such a coward." She whispered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose. "She deserves better."

Diana rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before she stood up from her bed and gathered her things to get ready for the party. She pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail and put on a brilliant sleeveless blue dress and many shining diamond accessories. She hadn't dressed up for a high society get together in a very long time, and she found herself feeling uncomfortable in her own skin. This was, unfortunately, something she was going to have to get used to again.

The dinner party was as expected, long and boring. Although the board members were nice enough people, she had no interest in hearing about their money or personal business. She was on autopilot, only talking when she was talked to and absentmindedly nodding, pretending to listen to the many conversations going on at the large table. She felt her aunt's stare at many points as she sat, sipping her wine, but made it a point to not make eye contact with her. The blonde watched the clock moving agonizingly slow, every minute wishing she could just leave and retreat to her hotel room. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.

"Diana, you seem to be somewhere else tonight." Daryl whispered, leaning close as to not be overheard.

"My apologies, Aunt Daryl." Diana whispered back and cleared her throat. "I'm rather exhausted from today's...excitement and traveling. I'm afraid I didn't get much rest last night." Again a slight blush showed on her cheeks thinking about the night before, but this time it was mixed with a hint of sadness.

"I understand." Her aunt whispered again before standing up straight and lifting up her wine glass. "If I could have your attention, I'd like to make a toast before my niece takes her leave." Everyone at the table raised their own glasses and nodded at Daryl, urging her to continue. "I'd like to say that I'm very proud of my niece for taking this important step in her life, although it may have been earlier than she would have liked. I know that she will do everything in her power to bring honor to the Cavendish name, even if that means making sacrifices," Daryl paused to like down at Diana "that benefit the greater good of the company. A toast to our new CEO, Diana Cavendish!"

"To Diana Cavendish!" Everyone in the room repeated before taking sips of their own alcohol.

Diana's eyes never left Daryl's as they both took sips of their wine. The blonde knew very well what those sacrifices were that her aunt was talking about. Her schooling, her friends, her girlfriend, her entire life. Suddenly she was finding it hard to breathe. She needed to get out of this room, away from these people. Her aunt saw the panic overtake her suddenly, and took her wine glass from her before she dropped it.

"Go." Daryl said simply. "I'll be in touch."

The blonde stood up and quickly walked out of the room without a word. She could feel the eyes watching her every move until she was in the hallway and out of sight. She didn't stop until she climbed into her car, fearing that she was going to break down at any moment. Her driver watched her with concern in the rear view mirror as Diana covered her face and let the flood gates open. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Fear, frustration, anger, doubt. Every negative emotion imaginable was twisting and turning inside of her. This was all too much too quickly, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Are you alright, miss?" Edward asked from the drivers seat, pulling out onto the main road.

"No." She breathed out, fixing her gaze out her window and wiping tears away from her eyes.

The car fell silent again for the rest of the drive back to the hotel. Once back in her room, she took a long shower in an attempt to relax. The hot water was soothing as it washed over her skin, making her finally realize just how tired she really was. She lazily dried herself off and put on her pajamas before climbing into bed, pausing when she saw her phone, still laying on the bedside table. With a long sigh, she picked it up and turned it on, finally opening the message Akko had sent her hours earlier.

' _ **Hey, beautiful. I know you're probably busy, but I just wanted to say hi. And I hope you made it to London okay.'**_

The message lifted Diana's mood slightly, even though the thought of facing her girlfriend terrified her, she wouldn't have to do that tonight. She still had time to think about what she was going to say. But this meant that she had to convince Akko that everything was okay, because she didn't want to put any undue stress on the brunette before finals week. She was struggling enough as it was. Diana quickly typed out a message.

' _Hello, Akko. I made it just fine, thank you.'_

She sent the message and prayed for a miracle that maybe Akko had gone to bed early tonight. But unfortunately for Diana, the brunette texted back only a few seconds later.

' _ **Great! How did your meeting go?'**_

'Terrible' she thought to herself before typing out a message that wouldn't cause suspicion.

' _It was fine. I will tell you about it when I see you. Unfortunately I'm quite tired. I'm going to try to get some sleep since I have an early flight tomorrow.'_

' _ **Oh. Okay. You want to hang out tomorrow?'**_

' _I'm sorry but I can't, Akko. I need to study for finals. You should be studying also.'_

' _ **It's okay. You're probably right. Okay, well, goodnight Diana. Sleep well!'**_

' _Goodnight, Akko. Sleep well.'_

Diana felt guilty that she shortened the conversation, but she really was tired. And the more she messaged Akko, the more she would have to think about how she was going to break the news to her. Right now, she didn't want to think about anything. The blonde laid her head down on the pillow and almost instantly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The flight home the next morning seemed like it took forever in Diana's mind. Mixed feelings overcame her as she was happy she'd be home, but she was dreading facing her roommates and telling them that she would soon be moving out. As she stepped off of the plane, she began to wonder how they would react. She considered them her best friends, no, more like sisters, and she would miss their daily presence dearly. Although the girls offered to pick her up from the airport, she declined and called a car for herself, which she found the driver of by the baggage claim. He waited for her, not needing a sign as they were well acquainted with each other already, having been hired as her driver when she was younger and unable to drive by herself yet. He also witnessed a quite embarrassing night just weeks ago, when Akko had passed out in the back of his car.

"Miss Cavendish, I'm glad to see you had a safe flight." Timothy bowed his head slightly and gave Diana a fatherly smile.

"Thank you, Timothy." Diana tried returning his happy gesture, but she could only manage a small sad smile.

Timothy took the bag from Diana and walked toward the doors, the blonde followed closely.

"I heard that you had quite an eventful time in London." He said, turning his head slightly.

"Where did you hear that?" Diana sped up until she was now side by side with the older man. "It just happened yesterday, surely gossip doesn't travel that fast."

"Ah. It does when the gossip comes from a certain well connected secretary." Timothy flashed a sly smile at the younger girl.

"Anna. I guess I should have expected that." The blonde let out a soft chuckle. "At least I'll have her there with me." She whispered to herself, but loud enough that Timothy had heard.

The driver chose not to comment on it though, as they had finally reached the car. He opened the door for Diana, letting her slide in. The drive was somewhat silent apart from some comfortable small talk here and there. Talking with the older man had settled her nerves a bit, he had always had a calming effect on Diana which helped her immensely when she first started university at such a young age. The blonde was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the car had stopped in front of her building until she heard a throat being cleared from the front seat.

"If I may say, miss, the company is lucky to have you. You are an extraordinary young woman." Timothy said, watching the blonde in the rear view mirror.

"Timothy, you said that to me on my first day at Luna Nova." Diana genuinely smiled for the first time that day.

"Yes miss, and it rings as true today as it did back then." The driver smiled again before getting out of the car. He opened the door for Diana and retrieved her bag from the trunk.

"Thank you, Timothy. For everything." The blonde said softly.

Timothy tipped his hat to Diana in response and got back in his car, leaving the blonde alone in front of the large doors leading into her apartment building. The door man opened the door and welcomed her in, greeting her happily. With a nod and a thank you, she walked past and made her way to the elevator which took her up to the top floor. Finally, she made it to her door, and after a few deep breaths she turned the door handle nervously and pushed it open. Hannah and Barbara were sitting on the couch with a mess of books and papers surrounding them in usual finals week fashion. Their heads shot up quickly at the noise of the door opening, and when they saw their roommate, they jumped off of the couch to greet her.

"Diana!" Hannah exclaimed as she pulled the blonde in for an unexpected hug.

"How was your meeting? What did they want? What happen-?" Barbara blurted out but was stopped abruptly.

"Barbara! Calm yourself." The auburn haired girl chastised her friend.

Diana giggled at the exchange.

"I'm going to miss you girls." She said absentmindedly before slapping her hand over her mouth. This was not the way she wanted this conversation to begin.

"What?!" The two girls in front of her shrieked at the same time.

"Damn it." The blonde whispered almost inaudibly as she began to wring her hands together. "Okay, why don't you both sit down. I guess I'll explain."

The girls sat down and Diana began to explain every detail of the day before. With each memory, the blonde's composure slipped and she ran her hand through her hair multiple times. Hannah and Barbara's eyes followed her intently, growing wider with every detail revealed. The blonde finally finished before she closed her eyes and took a deep shaky breath before turning her attention back to the silent girls on the couch. They looked back at Diana on shock, neither knowing exactly what to say to there frustrated friend. They turned toward each other with somber looks, having a short silent conversation before nodding in unison and turning back to the waiting blonde.

"It'll be okay, Diana." Hannah said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, we're happy for you." Barbara added.

"Really?" Diana let out the breath she'd been holding since she stopped her explanation.

"We'll miss you a lot, but you'll do amazing, I know it." The auburn haired girl nodded her head confidently.

"Yeah, and we can visit when you aren't busy, right?" The black haired girl asked excitedly.

"Of course, but I'm afraid I'll be quite busy in the beginning. At least that's what they tell me." Diana rolled her eyes and folded her arms in annoyance.

"So Diana," Barbara started and paused, looking to Hannah nervously before continuing. "what about Akko? Have you told her yet?"

The blonde's heart began to ache again, even just thinking about what she is going to say, or how the brunette is going to react fills her with dread. Suddenly, her aunts words began to come back to her, albeit uninvited. 'It's not fair to her' and 'we both know who will lose' were now stuck in her mind, playing over and over on repeat.

"Diana?" Hannah said in a concerned tone. "Have you told her?"

"No, I haven't." She whispered, suddenly having to hold back the moisture threatening to leak out. "I will after finals. I don't..." Diana trailed off, swallowing thickly and taking a deep breath to calm herself. "She doesn't need any distractions right now. Excuse me ladies, I'm going to study in my room."

And with that, the blonde walked out of the room quickly, leaving her bewildered friends behind. They slumped their shoulders in defeat. They knew Diana was in pain, and their was nothing they could do about it. In usual Diana fashion, she would stubbornly try to get through this by herself, unwilling to share the burden with anyone else. A destructive pattern they've seen too many times before, and one that would surely break her at some point. Both girls reluctantly went back to their studies, as there was nothing more they could do.

* * *

Finals week had been one of the most exhausting weeks of Diana's young life. On top of tests and more tests, she found herself buried in email's flooding her inbox every day. Things to approve, travel dates, meeting times, and information that others deemed important for her to know were looked over carefully by the blonde. She was never one to slack off in her duties, even if it left her tired and without time for anything else. She managed to have short conversations with Akko every night over text messaging. She had found out that the brunette was doing better than she thought on her tests which made Diana happy, only making her feel more confident that it was the right choice to wait to talk to the brunette about the past weekend's revelations. She also found out that Akko and her roommates were throwing an end of school party that Friday night, and naturally the blonde was invited.

Which is why she now stood on the front porch of Akko's house on a warm Friday night, staring at the door nervously. She had been standing there frozen for about ten minutes now, listening to the loud music, shouts and laughs coming from inside. For everyone else, this was a joyous occasion. It meant freedom to do what they wanted for the next few months. For Diana, this was the end of her time here at Luna Nova, this was the beginning of her new life as the CEO of the most successful chain of hospitals in all of Europe. This was the last time she would see Akko in a very long time, and she was terrified to face her. Suddenly the door was pulled open aggressively and a fiery redhead appeared in the opening.

"You gonna stand out here all night, princess?" Amanda smirked as she slurred her words slightly and swayed a little from side to side. She was obviously drunk.

"Diana!" Akko screamed from behind the redhead, bumping into Amanda's shoulder as she stumbled past and lunged at Diana, wrapping her in a tight hug.

The blonde returned the hugged hesitantly at first, but eventually melted in Akko's arms, leaning her head on the top of the brunette's.

"Don't tell me your drunk already, Akko." Diana asked in amusement as she breathed in Akko's scent, committing it to memory.

"Well you are a little late." The brunette mumbled into the blonde's shoulder.

"Yes, I suppose I...am." Diana's breath hitched as she felt soft kisses being trailed up her neck.

Amanda, who still stood in the doorway, cleared her throat uncomfortably. She immediately looked anywhere but at the couple in front of her and backed up slowly, closing the door as she went.

"I missed you." Akko whispered into the blonde's ear, making her visibly shiver.

"Akko, I-" Diana's words were effectively cut off as the brunette took her lips in a deep sloppy kiss. The blonde couldn't resist as she grabbed Akko by the waist and pushed her slowly backward until her back gently made contact with the door. Diana deepened this kiss even more, thrusting her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth. Akko welcomed the action by clashing her own tongue with the blonde's. After a few moments, Diana leaned her head back with a gasp, taking in a much needed deep breath before leaning her forward against Akko's. They stood that way for a good couple of minutes, taking in each others presence.

"I love you." The brunette whispered weakly.

The blonde's eyes shot wide open in shock and she quickly took a step back out of her girlfriend's reach. In the heat of the moment, she had completely forgotten why she was here. The phrase that she would have been elated to hear at any other moment, made things much harder for Diana. Her body began to tremble as Akko's eyes opened, a look of horror spread over her face.

"Oh my god, that just...that just slipped out. You don't have to say it back, I just...say things when I'm drunk." The brunette reached out but stopped halfway, balling her outstretched hands into fists. She bit her lip nervously waiting for the blonde to say something, anything.

"I love you, too." Diana whispered as her voice cracked. Again, for what seemed like the hundredth time that week, moisture began to build up behind her eyes.

Akko's features relaxed slightly, but instead of horror or shock, worry took over as she furrowed her eyebrows and reached her hand out to take Diana's.

"Diana, what's wrong?" She asked hesitantly.

This was it. If the blonde didn't do this now, she knew she wouldn't have the courage to later. And time was something she just didn't have anymore. She had backed herself into a corner. She gathered up as much courage as she could muster before speaking.

"Akko, I'm leaving Luna Nova. I'm moving to London this weekend." Diana did her best to sound like she wasn't completely dying inside, but the way she was shaking surely gave her away.

The brunette immediately let go of the blonde's hand and took a slow step back.

"What?" Akko asked, her voice shaky. She shook her head slowly before continuing. "No. You can't just..." The brunette trailed off and looked down at the cement.

"I was called to London because my aunt can't run the company anymore. I had to take over. Akko, I'm-"

"No!" The brunette cried out, balling her hands into fists at her sides. "You can't leave..." Her voice trailed off as tears began rolling down her cheeks. "I can't lose you, too." The words came out in a pained whisper, making Diana's heart break instantly.

"Akko," Diana reached out and cupped the brunette's cheek. "I'm so sorry but this is something I need to do. It's my responsibility. After I get my bearings, when I'm not so busy-"

"Just go." Akko mumbled as she took another step back, not meeting the blonde's gaze as she was closing her eyes tightly.

"What?"

"I said...go." The brunette said a little louder. "I'd only be holding you back."

"Akko, no. If you'd just-" Diana reached out again, but Akko turned around quickly and opened the door, walking through it without another word and closing it behind her. "Listen" she finished.

The blonde stood frozen in place on the porch. Every instinct she had was screaming at her to go after Akko. To try to explain herself better. To try and comfort her in any way that she possibly could. But could she say anything to make this situation better? No, she was the reason the brunette was in so much pain. Nothing she could say now would help. She was leaving. To Akko, the reason didn't matter, all she saw was abandonment. All she saw was the loss of another girl she loved. No, there was nothing she could do now. All she had now was the hope that this would blow over somehow. That the brunette would understand one day of why Diana had to do this. No matter how much her heart had broken tonight, she had to have hope that the girl she loved so much would take her back one day, when the time was right.

Diana turned around and slowly made her way back to her BMW. She slid into the drivers seat and closed the door. The dam behind her eyes finally broke and the first tear slid down her cheek, leading to another, and another as she wrapped her arms around herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door to the house open. Her heart jumped, thinking maybe it was Akko, but her spirits dropped immediately when she saw Amanda walking toward her car, with a very displeased look on her face. Diana quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and turned the car on, mashing the gas pedal before the redhead could confront her. As she drove away, she spoke the words that she had said to herself more times this week than she'd like to admit.

"You're such a coward. She deserves better."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _Conceal, Don't Feel_

Akko slammed the front door shut behind her and leaned her back against it. She breathed heavily in a panic as the tears continued to steadily stream down her cheeks. The other five occupants of the room stared at the distressed girl in silent shock, putting a hold on the joyous conversation and games they were previously focused on. The brunette sunk to the floor and brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them as if they were her only lifeline.

"Akko!" Amanda shouted as she jogged over to the broken girl and knelt down beside her. "What happened?"

"She's leaving." Akko whispered, voice raspy from the strain of trying to unsuccessfully hold back a flood of tears.

"She's leaving?" The redhead asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "What do you mean? Where is she going?"

Akko stood up suddenly and pushed her way past Amanda, walking quickly out of the room without any other explanation. Amanda looked around the room at the other girls, who were just as confused as she was, before throwing the front door open violently. She noticed the black BMW still parked by the curb and began making her way toward the vehicle. With every step, the figure in the car became more clear and she slowed her pace when she saw the blonde doubled over in the front seat as if in serious pain. 'What is going on?' she thought, now questioning whether this was a good idea, but she just wanted answers. She quickened her pace once more as she realized that Diana had noticed her presence and the car roared to life. The redhead began running as fast as she could to cut the blonde off but she wasn't quick enough. The car sped away, leaving a frustrated Amanda in it's wake.

"DAMN IT, CAVENDISH!" She screamed as she slowed to stop, punching her fist in the air for good measure. She watched as the black car disappear around a corner. "I just want to know what the fuck is going on." She mumbled to herself as she slowly made her way back to the house. "So much fucking drama. They're making out one minute and fighting the next. Just...fucking...fuck."

Ceasing her grumbling, she entered the house again. Her roommates, who were previously speaking in hushed whispers, fell silent and turned toward the fuming redhead expecting some answers. Amanda paused when she noticed everyone's eyes were on her. She shook her head and gave a sad shrug before jogging out of the room and up the stairs. The redhead stopped at Akko's door and listened for any kind of noise inside, but heard nothing. She slowly turned the knob and entered the room cautiously, instantly finding the brunette on her bed, sitting against the wall and hugging her knees while nursing some sort of alcoholic beverage in her hand. As if she was approaching a wounded animal, Amanda slowly moved toward the bed, giving Akko every chance to tell her to leave. When no objections came, the redhead climbed onto the bed and sat beside her friend. Akko hadn't moved, nor gave any indication that she even knew that the redhead was there. She had stopped crying, though her red puffy eyes now looked empty and lifeless.

"Akko, you have to tell me what happened." Amanda was finally able to get out after a few moments of silence.

"She's leaving." The brunette said flatly.

"Okay, yeah, I got that. And…?" The redhead asked, urging her friend to continue. When Akko didn't speak again, Amanda continued. "Where is she going?"

"She's moving to London."

"London." The redhead repeated, nodding her head. "And what did she say when you told her she should stay?"

For the first time, Akko turned to look at her friend sitting next to her with her eyebrows raised.

"I didn't." She whispered.

"What? You didn't even fight for her to stay? What wer-" Amanda began, raising her voice slightly.

"And what the hell was I supposed to say Amanda?" The brunette half shouted. "Stay here and forget about running your company? Stay here with your needy as fuck girlfriend that you've had for one week and throw away your future?"

"Akko, I think you're still a little drunk." The redhead tried to reach out to take the glass of alcohol, but her hand was slapped away.

"I am drunk, Amanda. But I'm not stupid. She came here to break up with me tonight. So I made it easier for her and told her to leave." The brunette scooted off her bed in frustration and began to pace, setting her drink down sloppily on her desk in the process.

"How do you know she was...Wait, you told her leave? Why? Why would you make it easier for her to-"

"Because I love her!" Akko turned toward Amanda and yelled, making the redhead jump a bit. The brunette wrapped her arms around her self and took a deep breath. "Because I love her." She repeated more softly this time, voice cracking slightly. "I told her to go so she wouldn't have to feel guilty about leaving me behind. I don't want to hold her back."

"Akko..." Amanda said quietly as she crawled to the edge of the bed to sit.

"This time it was my choice." Akko whispered to herself almost inaudibly, swaying slightly and catching herself on the desk before she fell.

"Ooookay." Amanda stood up quickly and took the brunette's arm before leading her to the bed. "I'm gonna go get you some water, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." The brunette said, eyes half lidded as she fell backward onto the mattress.

The redhead stood and watched over her friend for a few minutes as Akko quickly fell asleep. With a long sigh, Amanda gently pulled the covers out from under the brunette and placed them on top, tucking her in. With her mind running wild, she left the room and walked down the stairs to update the rest of the girls, who were no doubt as concerned as she had been. When she walked into the living room, she found Sucy and Constanze playing a game together on the XBOX One, Lotte reading a book from her favorite series, and Jasminka snacking on some sweets a little faster than usual as she watched the TV screen. No one had heard her come in so she loudly cleared her throat, effectively grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

"So what happened?" Lotte was the first to ask, immediately dropping her book.

"Well, Diana is moving to London." Amanda said with a sigh.

"What? Why?" The orange haired girl was now sitting on the edge of her seat.

"I'm...assuming she is taking over her family's business? Akko wasn't very clear with me. She was still pretty messed up." The redhead rubbed the back of her neck.

"Did Diana break up with her?" Sucy finally chimed in. "Because I can put together a pretty basic poison-"

"Sucy!" Lotte looked at purple haired girl in horror, to which she snickered evilly.

"I don't know if they...broke up." Amanda walked to the couch and plopped down next to Lotte. "Akko was pretty convinced that's what was going to happen, but it sounded like she may have jumped the gun a little bit." She let out a long sigh and looked around the room. "We need to talk to Diana."

"Do you really think we should be getting into the middle of this?" Sucy deadpanned.

"Do you want to live with Akko after what happened tonight? It's gonna be a nightmare just being around her." The redhead looked at the purple haired girl was raised eyebrows.

"Oh. Fair." Sucy nodded her head and turned on the game that had been paused and focused her attention on the TV once more.

Amanda took out her phone and found Diana's number. After pressing the call button, she put the phone to her ear and waited. It rang once, and then twice before immediately ending and going to voice mail. The redhead pursed her lips and lowered the phone so she could end the call.

"She declined my call. Shouldn't be surprised with the way she drove off earlier." She mumbled, irritated.

"Maybe Barbara or Hannah can help?" Lotte asked after a few moments of contemplation.

"They're at some...place with Hannah's music friends. Or something." Amanda mumbled again, still staring at her phone, eyes narrowed. "I'll send her a text and let her know what happened. I don't want to bother her with a call."

Lotte watched curiously as the redhead began moving her thumb around the screen of her phone, pressing a little harder than she needed to. The orange haired girl had never seen Amanda so worked up over a girl, and it wasn't a good kind of worked up. Lotte opened her mouth to ask what was going on between them, but closed it quickly. One problem at a time. She looked to the other girls in the room who had their attention on the TV once more, distracting themselves from the sudden problematic situation that they had no answers for at the moment. Following their lead, Lotte picked up her book and delved back into the world of Nightfall, leaving reality behind once again before Amanda finally spoke once more.

"I'm gonna take some water up to Akko for when she wakes up." The redhead stood up and walked to the kitchen leaving her orange haired friend silently nodding in response.

* * *

Hannah and Barbara walked tipsily behind a small group of girls down a lively street to the hotel they were calling home for the night. A short getaway in celebration of the end of the school year, and also a break from their blonde friend who had adopted her all too familiar icy persona once again. Diana had completely shut them out during the stressful week, and although they both understood why, the change was an unwelcome one, making their interactions with the blonde uncomfortable and awkward. They hadn't realized how much they enjoyed the fun and carefree attitude that Diana had adopted over the past month. Hannah's phone buzzed in her pocket when they reached the front doors to their hotel. She reached in and clumsily pulled it out, pausing when she saw Amanda's name on the screen.

"Who is it?" Barbara asked, leaning over Hannah's shoulder to get a better look.

"Amanda." The auburn haired girl responded simply before swiping the screen and reading the message. "Damn it." She whispered before holding the phone up, showing her friend.

"A problem..." She mumbled as she read the message. "Diana's not answering her phone..." She continued as her eyes flitted back and forth before finishing. "So I'm assuming their talk didn't go well. You don't think she broke up with Akko, do you?"

"I don't know, Barbs. She hasn't been herself this week. It's possible." Hannah replied, stuffing her phone back inside her pocket. "Call her."

"Why don't you call her?" Barbara whined before getting pleading look from her friend. "Fine." The black haired girl sighed and pulled her own phone out. She found Diana's number and pushed the call button but was met with her voicemail immediately. "She turned her phone off." She said sadly as she lowered her phone and turned to look back at Hannah. "What do we do now?"

The auburn haired girl began to pace, running her hand through her hair a few times as she mulled over the options in her head. After a few moments she stopped and glanced at the doors their friends disappeared through.

"I think she wants to be alone. I doubt she'll even talk to us if we went home now." Hannah winced at hearing her own words, but believed them fully. "I think we just need to enjoy our night and we'll head back first thing in the morning."

Barbara reluctantly agreed, nodding her head silently before following her friend through the hotel doors.

For the rest of the night, both girls attempted to forget their worries about their blonde friend, but unfortunately, they weren't very successful. After messaging Amanda a few more times about the situation at hand, they ended up turning in early in order to wake up earlier the next day, wanting to get home and get the story of what went on the night before. Barbara could hardly stand being left in the dark, always being the one for some good gossip, but as the two people involved were not talking, the suspense was killing her.

They drove the long distance home in sleepy silence, Hannah having been asleep most of the way. Barbara woke her up when they had arrived to the parking garage before gathering their overnight bags and making their way up to the apartment. After making the slow trek up to the top floor, they saw that the apartment door was open. Curiously, the two girls stuck their heads in, but before they got a good look at anything, they were almost knocked down by a man making his way out of the apartment carrying a box. After a short apology, he turned and began walking down the hallway toward the elevator. Hannah and Barbara gave each other worried looks before quickly entering the apartment, slipping past another man carrying a box. After unloading their bags onto the floor, they quickly walked through the living area and into the hallway where all three bedrooms resided. They stopped at Diana's door and found that her room was nearly empty, save for a few boxes that the blonde was kneeling down next to with her back turned to the doorway.

"Diana?" Hannah asked as she walked in hesitantly. "What's going on?"

Diana twisted her body around to see the two girls who were now standing close behind her.

"Oh, hello girls. I'm just doing some last minute packing." The blonde said, expressionless, before turning back to the boxes she was organizing.

"You're moving out today?!" Barbara shrieked. "I thought you said you weren't leaving for a few more days!"

"Yes, well, unfortunately some unforeseen circumstances require me to be there sooner than I had anticipated." Diana deadpanned, not looking at her friends.

Hannah narrowed her eyes at the back of the blonde's head, pursing her lips in a tight line and balling her fists. Barbara looked at her in a panic, almost able to see steam coming from the fuming auburn haired girl. But before she could make a gesture for her to stop, Hannah came undone, letting go of a week's worth of pent up frustration.

"That's bullshit!"

"Excuse me?" Diana quickly turned around and stood up, raising her eyebrows at the angry girl now standing in front of her.

"You want us to believe that these 'unforeseen circumstances'..." Hannah made air quotes with her fingers as she said the words. "have nothing to do with your fight with Akko last night?" The auburn haired girl took a step forward, raising her hand and using her pointer finger to jab the blonde's chest. "Or the fact that you turned your phone off and cut communication with your best friends who were worried sick about you all night long?" Hannah was shouting now, but if it had any effect on Diana, she had not showed it.

The blonde stood her ground, and although she looked more tired than usual, she showed no other signs of distress or guilt. Her jaw tensed as if she was holding back a retort and narrowed her own eyes before she broke her silence.

"I'm fine. You have no reason to worry, I assure you." Diana said through grit teeth.

"Well that would have been nice to know last night!" The auburn haired girl continued shouting. "After getting a messages from Amanda that Akko drank herself to sleep and you drove away crying, we didn't know what the hell to thi-"

"Enough!" The blonde finally yelled, successfully cutting Hannah's shouting off and showing some emotion for the first time since they'd arrived.

The two girls glared icily at each other before Barbara moved to stand between them and gently pushed the auburn haired girl backward a few steps.

"Let's all just...calm down for a moment." The black haired girl said hesitantly before turning to Diana, meeting her still icy gaze. "What happened last night, Diana?"

The blondes eyes softened ever so slightly, and after a moment she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. But instead of replying, she just shook her head and turned around, kneeling down and focusing her attention again on the boxes. The room fell silent once more. Hannah huffed as she turned around and quickly exited the room, leaving Barbara alone with Diana. The black haired girl moved closer to the blonde and knelt down beside her, forcing her fidgeting hands to lay in her lap.

"Did you break up with her?" Barbara asked softly.

"No." Diana answered simply, not looking up before she closed one of the boxes and turned to the next one.

"Did she...break up with you?"

"Barbara, please." The blonde roughly shoved a few more things into the remaining boxed and began to close it. "I'd rather not t-"

"Miss Cavendish?" One of the moving men poked his head into the room, cutting the conversation short. "Are those boxes ready to go?"

"Yes, thank you." Diana stated as she stood up and straightened out her clothes, allowing the man to stack the boxes and pick them up.

"Oh, and a car is waiting for you in the garage, miss." The man said as he exited the room, leaving the two girls alone once again.

Diana glanced around the now empty room that she'd be leaving behind. The pit in her stomach only grew when her eyes met those of her friend standing awkwardly next to her, shuffling her feet. The blonde's demeanor softened at the sight. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around an unsuspecting Barbara, who reciprocated almost immediately.

"I'm going to miss you, Barbara." Diana whispered sadly.

"I'll miss you too, Diana." The black haired girl replied, voice now cracking. "But London isn't that far away. We can come and visit right?"

The blonde let go and stepped back, putting her hands on the distraught girl's shoulders and looking her in the eyes.

"Of course. When I get settled in, you both are welcome there any time." Diana tried to smile reassuringly, but the smile only reflected the sadness she felt in her heart. She turned and walked toward the door but paused before walking through. "Take care of each other." She said softly before disappearing into the hallway.

* * *

Amanda laid on the couch, throwing a hockey ball up in the air and catching it to stave off the boredom she was currently experiencing. With school out and having a week long break from hockey practice after a grueling finals week, she had nothing to do. Usually this wouldn't be a problem for the redhead, as her and Akko would usually find something to do together, no doubt something dumb or dangerous, but it at least it would have been something. But her best friend was still locked in her room. It had been a week since Akko and Diana had their...falling out? Amanda was still fuzzy on the details as no one really knew what happened outside the front door that night besides the brunette and the blonde. But the week had felt like an eternity to the redhead. Seeing Akko in the state that she was was killing Amanda, and the worst part about it was the feeling that she could do nothing to help her friend. The brunette was finally talking to the other occupants of the house, but there was no life in her words. She was like a robot on auto pilot. She barely ate, picking at whatever food Jasminka would decide to make for dinner at night, and having to be reminded by Lotte or Amanda to eat at breakfast or lunch. When she wasn't eating with the girls, she was in her room, doing god knows what.

The redhead let out a sigh and sat up, abandoning the game of catch that she was playing with herself. She looked around at the quiet house, knowing the only other person there was Akko. She stood up and walked to the stairs, ascending them lazily before arriving at the brunettes door and knocked twice.

"Hey, it's me. Can I come in?" Amanda asked with a raised voice at the door before turning her head and leaning her ear closer, straining to hear any noise coming from within the room.

"Sure." Akko's voice sounded softly on the other side.

The redhead opened the door and walked in to find her friend laying on her bed and looking at her phone.

"You want to go do something?" Amanda asked as she approached the brunette's bed. "I'm dying of boredom here."

"Nah, I'm fine. I'm just going to relax." Akko said flatly, not looking up from her phone.

"You've been relaxing for a whole week Akko." The redhead grumbled. "Come on, some fresh air will do you good."

No answer came from the brunette besides a quiet hum. Amanda sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose while she thought of anything else she could say or do. It didn't seem right to just leave and allow the moping to continue on.

"Why don't you talk to Diana? Maybe you two can work things out." The redhead sat down on the bed before continuing. "This could all just be a misun-"

"No." The cold tone of Akko's voice stopped Amanda's words in their tracks.

"Why?" The redhead's voice was strained with desperation to understand her friend better.

"Because she doesn't need me." Akko's head shot up and her eyes went wide at the words that came out of her mouth. "I mean, she doesn't need...any distractions."

"Why can't you be straight with me, Akko? I know you don't bel-"

"Amanda I don't want to talk about Diana." The brunette's voice raised and there was a tone of finality to her words.

Amanda knew there was no arguing with Akko. She was easily the most stubborn person the redhead had ever met. Without another word, Amanda stood up and walked quickly out of the room, shutting the door behind her a little harder than she probably should have. It was all so frustrating. She wanted answers for god's sake! And she wasn't going to get them from Akko. The brunette was immune to any weapons Amanda might have in an interrogation. Talking to her now was like beating a dead horse, pointless. So that leaves one person. The only other person who can give her the answers she needs. The redhead pulled out her phone and looked up some details on the internet before scrolling to a familiar number in her contact list and pushed the call button as she walked into her own room. She lifted the phone to her ear and waited a few seconds before the call was picked up on the other end.

" _ **Hello, Amanda."**_

"Hey, Hannah. Pack your bags babe, we're going to London." Amanda said as she grabbed a duffel bag from her closet.

" _ **Babe?"**_ Hannah asked, clearly annoyed at the pet name. _**"Wait, London?! Why?"**_ She asked in a higher pitched voice.

"I'm going to talk to Diana. And since she won't answer her phone, I have no other choice." She mumbled while she threw various items of clothing into her bag, smelling a few of the shirts just to be sure they were clean. "These idiots don't know what the hell they're doing. Honestly."

" _ **Amanda..."**_ The auburn haired girl began.

"And you and I can have like, a nice little vacation out of it. Since you know..." The redhead paused as she rubbed the back of her neck and shut her eyes tight. "Since we haven't seen each other very much. I'd like to...you know...hang out...with you." Amanda slapped her forehead softly when there was only silence on the other end. But before she could say anything more, Hannah broke the silence with a sigh.

" _ **Okay, when are we going?"**_

Amanda smiled wide for the first time that week and pumped her fist into the air.

"How soon can you be ready? There's a flight in three hours."

" _ **What?! Three…"**_ Hannah trailed off and took a deep breath. _**"**_ _ **Unbelievable. Fine, just**_ _ **c**_ _ **all before you pick me up."**_

The line went dead and Amanda tossed her phone onto her bed before she continued packing, more enthusiastically than before of course. When she was done packing, she picked her phone up once more and bought two plane tickets for the next flight to London. The redhead walked quickly out of her room and knock on the door across the way, to which Jasminka opened after a moment.

"Hey Jas, can you give me and Hannah a ride to the airport today?"

"The airport?" Jasminka raised her eyebrows as she placed a potato chip into her mouth. "Where are you going?"

"London." Amanda said confidently. She knew she didn't have to tell the pink haired girl why.

"Oooh. Okay." Jasminka smiled warmly as she always does. "I'd be happy to."

"Great! Thanks Jas. I'll let you know when I'm ready to go."

Jasminka only gave a happy nod in response and closed the door as Amanda began to walk down the hall, pausing at Akko's door. Should she tell her where she's going? No, she would most likely try to stop her. Or worse, not care at all. The Akko that doesn't care about anything is the worst Akko. Amanda could deal with an angry Akko, or even an emotional wreck Akko, but when she simply stopped caring, that's when you knew things were bad. With a shake of her head, the redhead continued walking down the hallway and then down the stairs to get a few more things ready for her upcoming trip.

* * *

Later that day, Amanda and Hannah found themselves on the airplane heading to London. They sat quietly next to each other as they took off into the skies, the buildings and houses growing smaller and smaller with every passing second.

"So have you thought about what you're going to say to Diana?" Hannah asked absentmindedly as she stared out the window.

"No, not really." Amanda answered, turning to the girl beside her. "I figured I'd just wing it." She flashed a goofy grin at the auburn haired girl.

"You're going to wing it. With Diana." Hannah arched an eyebrow. "I'm looking forward to seeing that."

"Ye of little faith." The redhead brought her hand up to her chest and faked a hurt expression.

Hannah lightly nudged Amanda's ribs with her elbow and giggled softly, making the redhead chuckle before falling silent once more, furrowing her eyebrows as she contemplated her next words.

"Akko's hurting." The redhead said solemnly. "I just need to…help somehow."

"I doubt Diana is fairing much better. She just does a damn good job of concealing her feelings." Hannah mumbles and sighs before looking out of the window again. Amanda let out a snort, making the auburn haired girl look at her in confusion. "What?"

"Conceal, don't feel." The redhead raised her eyebrows and smiled expectantly. When she was met with a confused stare, she continued. "Frozen? Ya know, the movie?"

"The children's movie?" Hannah asked flatly.

"You don't see the resemblance? Between Diana and El-"

"Please stop." The auburn haired girl brought her hands up and rubbed her temples in annoyance. Amanda shut her mouth immediately, knowing this probably wasn't the time for jokes. Hannah stared back sadly out of the window again. "I just want my friend back."

Amanda hesitantly reached out and took Hannah's hand, squeezing it gently. The gesture made the auburn haired girl turn her head quickly to look at their now intertwined fingers before looking up at the redhead who was now looking straight forward to the front of the plane, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. The corners of Hannah's lips twitched before she looked away, not being able to hold back a her smile any longer. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and kissed Amanda on the cheek before laying her head on the redhead's shoulder, making Amanda tense up slightly for a moment.

"We'll figure this out together, Amanda." Hannah said as she closed her eyes and nuzzled a little closer to Amanda's neck.

"Y-yeah. Of c-course we will." The redhead stuttered out as she silently pleaded with her heart to stop racing. Amanda was as still as could be, not knowing what exactly to do in this moment. This had been the first time that Hannah had shown this side of herself. After the drunken night they had spent together, and the awkward morning after, they hadn't talked much, which scared the redhead if she was being honest. Amanda wasn't sure if Hannah would ever want anything more, but she secretly hoped she might, and that was an entirely new thing for her. Sure, the auburn haired girl was beautiful, but she was also strong, and stubborn. And for some reason, Amanda was attracted to this girl who wouldn't take any of her shit. And the sex was… 'Oh my god stop thinking about that!' She screamed internally as she closed her eyes tightly. Her body tensed up so much that Hannah lifted her head from the redhead's shoulder and looked at her quizzically.

"Are you okay?" The auburn haired girl asked, concerned.

"Yeah. Fine. Totally okay." Amanda said, her voice raising an octave.

Hannah narrowed her eyes, obviously not believing a word the redhead had said. There it was. The girl who was not having any of Amanda's shit. The redhead swallowed thickly before leaning over suddenly, capturing the auburn haired girl's lip in a soft, lingering kiss. Hannah's eyes widened significantly at the action, but her moment of hesitation didn't last long as she closed her eyes and melted into the kiss, cupping Amanda's cheek. They were lost in the moment, forgetting that anyone else in the world existed. That is until they heard someone clear their throat from the seat behind them, letting them know that they were, in fact, not alone. Hannah immediately pulled away and covered her now bright red face with her free hand while Amanda sported a goofy love struck grin and laughed quietly as her shoulders were bobbing up and down.

The rest of the flight was mostly spent in silence after the embarrassing scene. They landed in London without any further incident and they walked slowly through the airport, all the while never letting go of each other's hands. After collecting their luggage, Hannah called for a car and they made their way out to meet the black town car that waited for them. The driver took their bags from them before they slide into the back seat of the car. The drive to the Cavendish Medical headquarters was short as the traffic wasn't terrible and before they knew it, they arrived. They got out of the car and thanked the driver, who would be there to pick them up when they were done with their business, before he drove away. The two girls stood outside of the building, summoning the courage they needed to confront their blonde friend. If Diana Cavendish wasn't intimidating enough before, add CEO to her title. Amanda had no idea what she was going to encounter.

They finally walked in and looked around the vast space of the first floor to the fancy office building. They made their way to the large desk settled in the middle of the large room and the older woman who sat there greeted them with a warm surprised smile.

"Miss Hannah. What a surprise!" Anna stood up from her desk as the girls stopped in front of her.

"Anna. It's been a long time. Good to see you." Hannah bowed her head slightly and smiled.

"Diana didn't tell me she would be having visitors today." The older woman said, raising her eyebrows and shuffled some papers on her desk, finding a small notebook. Her eyes moved back and forth as she frantically read what was no doubt the blonde's schedule.

"Oh. No, this is somewhat of a surprise visit. We were hoping to talk to Diana for a moment." The auburn haired girl said, sparing a quick glance at the girl beside her.

"I see." Anna furrowed her brows before continuing. "I'm afraid Diana is booked all day today. She's in a meeting with the board currently. Unfortunately you'll have to wait, although I don't believe she'll be out of her office until late tonight." She said apologetically. "Would you like me to let her know that you came by?"

Hannah and Amanda turned to look at each other, defeated.

"No, Anna. Thank you. We'll get a hold of her later." The auburn haired girl smiled sadly at the older woman before taking the redhead's hand and pulling her to one side of the room, which resembled a waiting area with chairs and tables. They sat down and sunk into their chairs tiredly.

"Well, do you have a plan B, genius?" Hannah asked sarcastically, looking over at Amanda sitting next to her.

"Winging it, ginger." The redhead rolled her eyes as she looked around the room. Her eyes landed on the lone elevator at the back of the room and an imaginary light bulb lit up above her head. "Hey, do you know what floor Diana's office is on?"

"I assume the top floor." Hannah raised an eyebrow at Amanda. "Why?"

Amanda looked over to the desk where Anna sat, holding the phone to her ear and typing something quickly on the computer. The redhead then looked back to the elevator before grabbing Hannah's hand and yanking her out of the chair.

"Hey!" The auburn haired girl protested as she was being dragged along.

"Shh...come on." Amanda whispered loudly as she led Hannah to the elevator, all the while keeping an eye on the secretary, making sure they weren't seen. She pushed the button which lit up green and the doors opened immediately. The two girls stepped inside and the doors closed behind them a moment later. The redhead reached out and pushed the button for the top floor, which flashed red but nothing else happened. She pushed it one more time, but the result was the same. "What the hell?" She grumbled, now pushing it over and over again quickly.

"Stop!" Hannah slapped Amanda's hand away from the buttons. "You're going to lock us in here or something!"

Suddenly the elevator doors began to slowly open, making the girls step back flush against the wall at the back of the elevator in fear. But the person standing there in boredom was the last person they thought they'd see here. The young man began to walk into the elevator, but stopped immediately, looking on in shock, when he saw who was currently occupying said elevator.

"Andrew?" Hannah gasped in disbelief.

Andrew cleared his throat as his shock wore off, and took the last few steps forward in to the elevator, finally allowing the doors to closed.

"Hello, ladies. Fancy meeting you here." Andrew finally said. "Visiting Diana?"

"Uh..." Amanda hesitated. "I guess you could say that."

The young man raised his eyebrows at the comment, looking from one girl to the other skeptically, and then to the buttons on the wall of the elevator.

"Does she know that you're here right now?"

"Nope." The redhead said immediately.

"And I'm assuming you don't have a visitors badge to allow you access to the executive floors?" Andrew holds up his own badge as he spoke.

"Nope." Amanda repeated.

"Hmm." Andrew replied with a smirk.

"We just needed to talk to her about Akko." Hannah added desperately.

Andrews smirk disappeared as he turned to the auburn haired girl in confusion.

"What about Akko?"

"They had a fight...or broke up...or something. Akko is taking it really hard and none of us can get a hold of Diana so we came here." Amanda said quickly while Hannah nodded vehemently beside her.

"Of course they did." Andrew mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "And you're here to get them back together?"

"Um...sure. Sounds about right." The redhead nodded.

Andrew let out a sigh and scanned his badge before pushing the button to the top floor. This time the button turned green and the elevator began to rise. The three occupants stood in silence at first, glancing awkwardly at each other before Hannah furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Andrew.

"Wait, why are you here?"

"My father is on the board of directors. He asked me to meet him here for a late lunch, and to no doubt meet some of his business partners." Andrew said as he rolled his eyes hard. "I'm not looking forward to it."

The girls nodded before the elevator stopped and a 'ding' sounded throughout the small silent space. The doors opened and the three stepped out into a large bright room. Andrew, having no doubt been there before, immediately turned and walked to a waiting area placed in front of another secretary desk which was abandoned at the moment. Amanda and Hannah stood in place, looking around at the ornate decorations and expensive looking furniture. Behind the desk and to the left were two large double doors with a gold plaque reading 'Diana Cavendish, CEO'. The redhead nudged the auburn haired girl and pointed toward the doors.

"That's her office" Amanda whispered.

They walked into the room a bit farther, abandoning their spot in front of the elevator. Hannah continued to look around the room now that they had a better view. To their left was a room with walls of glass and a large table occupied by men and women in expensive looking dresses and suits. It seemed that two of the men were engaged in a heated discussion as the rest of the occupants of the table looked on. All except for one person. That one person was looking directly at Hannah. Cold blue eyes watched her from the other side of the glass, her seat being at the head of the table opposite of the glass doors so she could see everything going on in the next room. Diana crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, her narrowed eyes never leaving Hannah's.

"Oh shit." The auburn haired girl whispered loud enough for Amanda to hear.

"What?" The redhead whispered back.

Hannah pointed and Amanda followed with her eyes until she saw Diana sitting in the next room, watching them.

"Shit." She whispered before spinning around quickly, Hannah following her action immediately so their backs were now turned to the bored room. "Well there goes our element of surprise."

"Oh I'm sure she's surprised." The auburn haired girl whispered back in distress.

"Okay, let's calm down. No reason to get all worked up." The redhead responded.

"This is a perfect reason to get worked up, Amanda!"

"Look, it's fine. We'll just-"

' _Click...click...click...click'_

Amanda was cut off by the sound of sharp heels slowly clicking clacking on the tiled floor behind them. The two girls froze in terror as the clicks became louder, indicating that the person was coming closer and closer until they stopped. The redhead could almost feel the glare being sent her way at that moment. Amanda and Hannah slowly turned around, finally facing the person they were there to see. Diana stood there, folding her arms, and waiting for some sort of explanation as to why the girls were there. Amanda looked her up and down with her eyes wide and slack jawed. The blonde's hair was in a loose ponytail and wore a dark gray suit jacket over a light gray vest covering a white button up shirt. A black tie was loose around her neck and tucked neatly beneath her vest. Down further, she wore tighter fitting black pants leading down to tall black heels.

"Damn, Cavendish." Amanda exclaimed as she looked back up into unamused azure eyes.

"While I do appreciate the sentiment, Amanda, I am rather busy at the moment. May I ask you two why you are here?" Diana asked, arching her eyebrow at the two nervous girls.

"Do we need a reason to simply visit our good friend and CEO, Diana Cavendish?" Amanda winked at the blonde, trying not to let her nerves get the best of her.

Diana let out a long sigh and turned to Hannah, silently repeating the same question.

"We just need a couple of minutes, Diana. Just hear us out." Hannah pleaded quietly.

The blonde's cold eyes softened slightly at her friend's tone. She looked back at the boardroom, biting her lip nervously before turning back to the two girls.

"Very well. Follow me please." Diana turned around and began walking quickly toward her office, Hannah and Amanda following closely.

They all entered the large immaculate office and the blonde closed the doors behind them. She walked to her chair at the large desk toward the back of the room and gestured for the girls to sit in the two chairs on the opposite side of the desk, which they did immediately.

"Alright, please explain yourselves. Quickly."

Amanda and Hannah looked at each other with the question of who should start. The redhead figured, as this was her idea, she should go first.

"Okay, short and sweet." Amanda shifted uncomfortably in her seat under the blonde's gaze. "I want to know if you intended to break up with Akko that night. Is that why you were there?"

Diana's eyebrows shot up at the question. Sitting back in her chair, her gaze flicked from Amanda to Hannah, and then back.

"You came all this way to ask that question?"

"That's just the first question." Amanda stated, unperturbed. "So? What's the answer?"

"Honestly..." The blonde paused, thinking about her words carefully. "No. I wasn't intending for that to happen."

"Oh thank god." The redhead let out a sigh of relief. "So like, you should call Akko and tell her that."

Diana looked at Amanda with an emotionless expression, tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair.

"What are your other questions?" The blonde asked curiously.

"Okay, why don't you want to call Akko and tell her that?" The redhead asked, beginning to feel frustrated.

"Akko told me to leave, and when someone tells you to leave, that's what you do." Diana tried her best to keep her voice even and calm. "It would be impolite to contact someone who clearly doesn't want you around."

"Oh my god! Just stop." The redhead whined before standing up. "You two are just...are just...so..." she balled her hands into fists. "So oblivious! You two are literally ignoring each other because you think that's what the other wants!" Amanda was raising her voice higher with every word it seemed. "She didn'twant you to leave because she didn't want you, she told you to leave because she thinks she'll only be a burden on you!" She took a few long deep breaths, calming herself down before continuing. "She let you go because she loves you, Diana, and she thought that's what you needed." The last sentence came out quiet and uncharacteristically emotional for the redhead.

The two other girls looked at her, both speechless at the rantings of the redhead, and both somewhat afraid to say anything to elicit another outburst.

"So tell me, Diana, do you love her? Do you really love her?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, of course I do." The blonde said immediately.

"Then why did you leave? And don't tell me it's because she told you to, because you already played that card and I know it's complete bullshit." The redhead pointed a warning finger at Diana.

"Amanda, I don't kno-" The blonde started.

"Just answer the damn question, Diana!"

"It's because she deserves more!" Diana replied, raising her own voice and standing up to face a now stunned Amanda. "She deserves someone who can be there for her, someone who's attention she doesn't have to compete for!"

"Then _be_ there for her, Diana. You're the damn CEO for crying out loud. Figure something out!" Amanda was now leaning over the desk, voice desperate. "I'll be damned if I watch her destroy herself again, when this time, I can do something about it." She leaned back to stand straight up again and let out a sigh. "Be that person she deserves Diana, because you're the only one she wants." The redhead turned around and walked toward the door and exited the room without another word.

Diana watched her go, feeling the moisture building up behind her eyes again at the emotional outburst of her friend, although her practiced neutral expression masked her distress well.

"She's right you know." Hannah spoke for the first time since entering the office, making the blonde look at her curiously. "You need her as much as she needs you. Even if those people out there can't see through that mask of yours, I can." The auburn haired girl stood up before continuing. "I know you're broken up inside, Diana, but you don't have to play the victim here. Be the girl she deserves. I know you'll figure it out." With a parting smile, Hannah turned and walked out to meet up with Amanda, shutting the door behind her and leaving Diana alone in the silent office.

The blonde sat unmoving in her chair, the words of her friends playing over and over again in her head. Phrases like 'She let you go because she loves you' and 'I'll be damned if I watch her destroy herself again' stood out among the many. Akko was destroying herself because of Diana. Had she really been so blind that she took Akko's words at face value? Or was she in selfish denial? Believing that maybe it was all for the better for both of them? The hole in her heart since that night said otherwise, but Diana had adamantly ignored the ache coming from it. She had been so busy that it was easy to push the hurt to the back of her mind, but at night when she laid in bed, there was nothing to distract her from the pain as she cried herself to sleep more than once.

Diana groaned and brought her hands to her face. Why did everything to be so complicated? Why couldn't her aunt have given her more time? No, she couldn't blame this on Daryl. It was going to happen sooner or later. What she needed to do was focus on what she was going to do now. She needed to focus on how she was going to fix this, if it was even possible. For once, she needed to stop thinking about herself, and focus on the one person in this world that she would do absolutely anything for. The one she will do anything for.

"Be the person she deserves." She whispered to herself.

"Ms. Cavendish?"

Diana was jolted back to reality by the quiet female voice of her personal assistant, who had opened the door without the blonde noticing. She cleared her throat before she spoke.

"My apologies, Chloe. What is it?"

"The board members are growing a little impatient." Chloe stated meekly.

Diana had forgotten that she had been in the middle of a meeting when her friends arrived. She quickly stood up and tugged on her suit, getting any wrinkles out.

"Right, thank you." She said as she walked toward the door. Her assistant nodded and turned around to walk away. "Oh, and Chloe? Please get a hold of my lawyer and make an appointment for me. I'm going to need her help going over a few things in my contract."

"Of course Ms. Cavendish." Chloe nodded once more and exited the room, retreating to her desk.

Diana followed her assistant out and shut the door behind her. She took a few deep breathes to compose herself before she sauntered to the glass doors of the boardroom. All eyes were on her as she walked in, and took her seat once more. Once settled, she looked around expectantly.

"Shall we continue?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to express how much I appreciate you all, and I'm so happy you are enjoying the story. I'm so happy with all the positive reactions and I couldn't thank you enough for helping me through this crazy first fic of mine. You all are amazing!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

 _The Reasons Why I Love You_

"Akko! Come on, pick it up!" Ursula yelled, frustrated at the usually energetic brunette who was now bent over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath on the hockey field.

Ever since Akko had come back from their week long break from practice, Ursula noticed a distinct lack of motivation from the girl. And the attitude of the captain had done a complete 180, leaving the blue haired coach concerned. But every time she tried to catch up to the brunette after practice, Akko had already gone, leaving as quickly as she could, not even waiting for her friends. Five days of practice and it hadn't gotten any better like she'd hoped it would, and Ursula couldn't let it go on any longer. She blew her whistle loudly, getting all of the girl's attention.

"Bring it in, girls!" Ursula yelled out across the field.

The players gathered around the coach, Amanda standing in the front and Akko standing toward the back. With a sigh, Ursula began talking loudly.

"As you all know, we have our first game of the tournament next week on Friday. I'm regretting my decision of letting you have last week off because it seems some of you have forgotten that on my field, we always give one hundred percent." The coach said coldly, glancing at Akko, who was staring elsewhere. "Next weeks practices leading up to the game are going to be crucial, and I expect much better from you girls. Understand?" She was met with nods and mumbles of 'yes'. "Alright, have a good weekend girls. I'm going to need to see Akko and Amanda before you leave please."

All of the players except for the brunette and the redhead left to gather their things. Ursula waited until everyone was out of earshot before she began speaking.

"I would like to have our strategy meeting at some point in the next couple days. When are you girls free?" When neither girl spoke up immediately, she took off her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes before continuing. "Okay, what happened? Whatever it is, we need to resolve this before next week. I can't have my two best players like…this." She gestured in there direction with her hands.

Amanda glanced sideways at Akko, who remained expressionless, and sighed.

"Diana moved to London to take over the family business." The redhead said tiredly.

"Oh." Ursula said, raising her eyebrows. "I mean, London's not that far away. I'm sure you can vi-"

"Can we not talk about this?" Akko cut her coach off and crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks out. "I'm free right now for the meeting."

The blue haired woman stared at the brunette in surprise at the tone of her voice before looking to Amanda, who was pinching the bridge of her nose.

"O-okay. Um...Amanda, are you free right now?" Ursula asked the redhead, who nodded in response. "Okay then. Tea at my place then?" When she saw Amanda grimace, she corrected herself. "Tea and coffee at my place then?" She asked with a sly smile.

"Cool." The redhead smiled back.

Akko nodded in agreement before she walked away, heading to where her bag sat on the bleachers. When Amanda began to walk away also, Ursula grabbed her arm to stop her.

"How long has this been going on?" The coach nodded toward the brunette in concern.

"Like, two weeks." The redhead said with a sigh. "I can't seem to get through to to her, she thinks Diana's better off without her. I even went to London to talk to Diana. Apparently she didn't give a shit about what I said." Amanda spat out venomously.

"You went to London?" Ursula asked, surprised.

"Yeah, well, apparently it was pointless. No one has heard from her, not even Hannah or Barbara." The redhead sighed. "I don't know what else to do coach. They're both so damn stubborn. How they got together in the first place is beyond me."

The coach giggled before bringing her hand up to her mouth and clearing her throat. This whole situation seemed all to familiar to Ursula. Memories flooded back to her of when Croix had been accepted to graduate school in a different country when she was done with her studies at Luna Nova. It had taken them years to reconnect after the fight they had, that ended in a very ugly breakup. She didn't want Akko to have to go through that pain, years of heartbreak and regret over something that could have been fixed so easily.

"Well, I'll try to help if I can, Amanda." Ursula patted Amanda on the shoulder. "For now, though, let's head to my place. Do you guys need a ride?"

Just then, they heard the engine of Akko's scooter start up and watched her drive out of the parking lot.

"We're good." Amanda said as she began to walk away. "See you there, coach."

* * *

Diana sat at her desk, loudly typing out a reply to what seemed like the hundredth email of the day. After clicking send, she sighed loudly and leaned her elbows on her desk, putting her face in her hands. After a few moments, she looked down at the contract that had been laying on her desk for a week now. She had read and reread it multiple times, along with her lawyer, to try to find anything she could take advantage of, any chink in the armor, but it was iron clad. She was out of ideas and feeling defeated and tired from the terrible sleep she had gotten over the past week. The blonde wished she could see Akko's face, smell her scent, feel her skin against her own. She just wanted Akko in her arms.

Clicking out of her email, Diana opened a search engine and typed in the web address for Akko's hockey team like she had done multiple times since arriving in London. When she just wanted to see Akko. But this time, the website featured a new article about the upcoming summer tournament the team would be playing in. The first game would be the next Friday, and Luna Nova would be hosting. She clicked through a few links, coming to Akko's profile which still displayed the same picture Diana had seen on he first day she met Akko. And to this day, even in the hardest of times, it still made the blonde smile and filled her heart with warmth. As she sat there smiling at her monitor, she heard her office door open. She closed the windows on the screen immediately and turned to see her aunt walking through the door and Diana's assistant, Chloe, closing the door to give them privacy.

"Hello, Diana." Daryl said in her usual disinterested tone.

"Daryl." The blonde said simply and nodded.

The older woman sat in one of the cushioned seat across from Diana and crossed her legs. The younger blonde watched her every move until they were staring at each other in silence. When Daryl did not immediately speak, Diana decided to break the silence.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?" The blonde asked cautiously. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Always straight to the point, Diana. You're not going to ask how your dear old aunt is fairing?" The older woman faked a pout.

"You've never been one for pleasantries, Daryl." Diana said flatly. "But if you insist, how are treatments coming along? Any progress?"

"The treatments are an inconvenience, to say the least. But yes, the progress is very slow, but steady." Daryl shrugged and locked eyes with the younger blonde, just now noticing the exhausted state the girl was in. "Oh my, Diana, you look terrible."

"Thank you, Daryl." Diana rolled her eyes. "It's been a rather exhausting few weeks to be honest."

"Oh, yes. I'm sure multiple meetings with your lawyer on top of your already large workload is indeed exhausting."

"How do you know about those meetings?" The young blonde asked suspiciously. "To my knowledge, you've been out of town all week."

"I have my ways, Diana. Did you think I wouldn't be keeping an eye on you?" Daryl arched an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to inform you, Daryl, but what I do or who I meet with is no longer your concern." Diana said through grit teeth.

"Yes, well, it is the board's concern that the CEO is meeting with her lawyer and looking for loopholes in her contract." The older woman spat out coldly.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Diana leaned forward over her desk as she sneered.

Daryl arched her brow at the younger blonde, and calmly continued.

"Then why don't you enlighten me, Diana?"

"I am not going to abandon the company or my family name." Diana leaned back and took a deep breath. "But I've realized that there are other things, other people who I can not abandon either. I had a life before this, and I will not give it up so easily." She stated calmly, making sure to talk slowly and resolutely.

"This is about _her_ , isn't it." The older woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Didn't you take my words to heart at all?"

"I did. And while I appreciate the advice, Daryl, this is my life. And I alone, will choose how to live it."

"I told yo-" Daryl started before being cut off.

"I wasn't done." Diana said icily. "You are correct that it wouldn't be fair to her to compete for my attention. Which is why I will not let that happen. And I refuse to let her think that this job is more important than she is, because it is not."

"If you think you are going to resign, you had better think again" The older woman said venomously.

"No, Daryl. I'm not going to resign." The blonde said calmly. "I am going to make sure that I am the best CEO as I can be, while being the best girlfriend I can be. Because that's what she deserves. That's what everyone here deserves."

"You really are just like your mother aren't you." The older blonde rolled her eyes. "And I assume you've gotten nowhere with that contract of yours."

Diana's proud smile faltered as she looked down at the papers sprawled out on her desk.

"No, unfortunately." The blonde said sadly.

"Diana, do you know why this job is so difficult? Why you have so much work?" Daryl asked flatly.

Diana furrowed her brows in confusion, staying silent so her aunt would continue.

"Well, you see. There was this man, a rather incompetent twit if you ask me, who was the chief operating officer when I officially took over the company. I fired him, and never replaced him. So I was, and now you are, doing the work of two executives."

"You fired the COO and never replaced him?" Diana eyes grew wide. "Daryl, why would you do that?"

"Because everyone I interviewed for the job was severely unqualified." The older woman just shrugged nonchalantly. "I thought you would have figured it out by now."

"Well I apologize. It's been a stressful few weeks for me." Diana said sarcastically, making Daryl smirk. "And the executive sheet I received showed no openings."

"Oh, Diana. No need to get snarky. I know you haven't officially met everyone yet because of scheduling conflicts and my absence. And that sheet hasn't been updated since I took over. Anyway, as I was saying..." Daryl trailed off for a moment, deep in thought. "If you hired someone competent enough for the position, I see no reason why you won't be able to move back and live your...life, as you wish for the time being. As long as you can keep up with your required workload and commitments, of course."

Diana was completely and utterly speechless. She stared at the older woman with her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Was it really that easy? Coming from her aunt, there had to be some sort of catch right? The idea made perfect sense.

"That's it?" The blonde breathed out.

"Well, the idea is quite simple. Making it happen, however, is the difficult part. Obviously you need to find someone suitable, and who knows how long that...could..." Daryl's voice trailed off when she witnessed Diana quickly grab her office phone and press a few quick numbers. "What are you doing?"

Diana ignored her and spoke to someone on the other end of the call.

"Chloe, will you please head down and tell Anna to come to my office immediately? And please cover for her while she's up here." The blonde glanced up to the older woman while she listened. "Okay, thank you." She hung up the phone and returned her attention to her aunt.

"Anna? You can't be serious, Diana." Daryl said in disbelief.

Diana didn't respond. She leaned back in her chair smiling excitedly at her baffled aunt and rocked back and forth like a happy child. She was going home.

* * *

Akko and Amanda sat quietly on Ursula's couch, waiting for their coach to make some tea and coffee. The brunette was staring at no where in particular while the redhead was playing a game on her phone.

"Alright girls," Ursula came in holding a tray with two teas and a coffee and set it down on the table in front of the couch. "Let's get this party started." She smiled toward the girls, only getting odd looks in response. "Well okay then." She mumbled before sitting down in the chair kitty corner to the couch and pulling out a notebook.

"Where's the girlfriend?" Amanda asked, looking around the open space.

"Oh she's in the basement working on...something or other." Ursula gestured toward a walkway leading to the stairs to the basement.

The redhead nodded and turned her attention to the notebook now opened on the table in front of the three of them. Akko also scooted to the edge of the couch to get a better look. They talked strategy for an hour or so, the brunette even seemed to lighten up a bit, throwing out suggestions here and there. The blue haired woman even got her to laugh once with a terrible pun, and she was very proud of herself, to say the least. As they were finishing up, they could hear footsteps walking up what was no doubt the wooden steps leading up from the basement.

"Oh, the genius has decided to grace us with her presence." Ursula joked quietly, making the two younger girls smile as they turned to the hallway where Croix would appear.

The lilac haired woman did appear carrying a large box, almost dropping it when she saw Ursula's visitors.

"Oh great. It's Amanda." Croix said flatly.

"Hey. You know you love me shut in." Amanda smirked at the older woman.

"Uh huh." Croix tried to hide a smile creeping onto her lips before turning to the brunette. "Hey, Akko."

"Hey, Croix." Akko flashed a small smile. "What's all that?" She pointed to the large box in Croix's hands.

"Oh. Uh..." The lilac haired woman looked nervously at her girlfriend. "It's just-"

Croix's words were cut off by the sound of cardboard tearing, the box suddenly feather light as all the contents of the box fell out onto the floor in front of her. Ursula gasped in horror as she recognized the things now strewn out on the floor. Akko and Amanda stood up, both chuckling, and began to walk over to help pick everything up before being stopped in their tracks by their coach.

"No!" She shouted a little too loudly as she came to a stop in front of them. "I mean, it's fine girls, you don't have to help." She laughed nervously as she lightly pushed them backward.

"What?" Akko looked at her, confused, before something shiny caught the brunette's eye over the blue haired woman's shoulder. She squinted and saw that the contents on the floor was, what looked like, sports memorabilia. With a bit of quick thinking, she had an idea. "Oh my god what's that?!" She shouted, looking up at the ceiling.

"What?!" Ursula abandoned her distraction of the girls to look up to see what Akko was shouting about. But there was nothing there. And while the blue haired woman was looking up, the brunette managed to deftly sneak past her and was now huddled over the pile of items on the floor. "Akko!" Ursula shrieked, frozen in place.

"Whoa!" Akko said excitedly as she picked up two trophies. After putting those down she picked up a few medals, and then some pictures of a girl's hockey team in Luna Nova uniforms. "Hey, is this your team from back in the day, coach?" The brunette brought one of the pictures closer to her face to get a better look, scanning each girl.

Ursula, who was still standing frozen next to Amanda, looked to Croix with terror on her face. In turn, the lilac haired woman's lips twitched, trying to suppress a smile that she would later regret.

"Wait." Akko's eyes grew wide. "That's Chariot! Did you play with Chariot?" Without waiting for an answer, she scanned the picture again before landing on the young redhead in the picture once more. She put the picture down and picked up a different one, scanning it like she did the last one. And again her eyes found a young Chariot but no Ursula. Furrowing her brows, she scanned the rest of the items on the floor. She picked up a uniform top which had the word 'FRANCE' on the front in bold lettering. The brunette turned it over and sure enough, the name on the back read 'DU NORD'. She quickly threw it down and picked up one of the trophies again and read the plaque with very small lettering. "Chariot du Nord." Akko whispered to herself. It was then that she spotted a very familiar looking picture in a frame, hidden partially under the a ribbon. She reached over and picked it up, the ribbon sliding off to reveal a bikini clad Chariot. The picture was the same as the one Diana had taken off of the wall weeks ago, except this one had something written in the bottom corner.

 _Croix,_

 _Now you'll never feel lonely…_

 _Chariot_

The writing was accompanied by a winking smiling face. Akko stared wide eyed at the words in disbelief. After a few moments she looked up at Croix who was deliberately avoiding her gaze. The brunette stood up and turned around to look at her coach who was overtaken by the furious blush. Akko walked slowly toward Ursula, and when she was close enough, she held the picture up next to the flustered woman's face. The brunette looked back and forth between her coach and the picture a few times before swallowing thickly.

"Chariot?" Akko asked. "You're Chariot du Nord?!" She asked again in a panic, now taking a step back.

"Hold up!" Amanda finally chimed in after watching Akko's realization. She stepped forward and took the picture from the brunette and inspected it. "Holy shit Akko, isn't this the picture above your bed?" The redhead smiled before looking up at their blue haired coach, who was now covering her face with her hands, covering the severe blush that had overtaken it. Amanda's smile then disappeared when she finally made the connection. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide as she looked between the picture and Ursula one more time. "Oh my god."

Croix stood behind them, covering her mouth and silently shaking with laughter at the scene. The two girls continued to stare at their coach in silent shock, waiting for Ursula to lower her hands from her face and say something. They would have to wait for several minutes before the blue haired woman could compose herself enough to finally reply to the question still hanging in the air.

"Y-yes. I am."

Akko's mind began to run a million miles an hour. Her idol was standing right in front of her. Chariot had been her coach for the better part of a year, and she had no idea. The person she had spent her childhood looking up to. The person that had unknowingly got her through the most terrible time in her life. The person who's poster she'd had above her bed since high school. Countless times she had stared up at the poster at night and...she had...she had…

"Akko, are you okay? You look pale." The blue haired woman asked in concern.

The room began to blur for the brunette as she thought about the indecent way she had been looking at at Chariot...at her coach...for years. The information was too much to handle for Akko. The room began to fade as she slowly lost consciousness, her knees buckling underneath her as she fell backward onto the floor in a heap.

"Akko!" Ursula rushed to the brunette's side immediately.

"Well that was...something." Croix stated, looking surprised at the turn of events. "That's not how I pictured it going. Meeting her idol must have been more than her little heart could take."

"I don't think that's why she fainted." Amanda snorted, knowing full well what Akko was thinking when she saw that the bikini picture.

"Will you both stop and help me get her to the couch?" The blue haired woman pinched the bridge of her nose, embarrassment replaced by irritation and concern now.

"Yeah Yeah." The redhead smirked before moving to take Akko's legs while her coach slid her arms beneath the brunette's arms. They lifted and easily transferred the unconscious girl to the couch, laying her down cautiously.

They didn't have to wait long for Akko to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked up at the three figures standing above her. Her crimson eyes met her coaches for a brief second before they both turned their heads and looked anywhere but at each other, blushes growing on both of their faces.

"So you're...uh...Chariot huh?" The brunette inquired hesitantly as she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the couch.

"Yes. I used to be, anyway." Ursula sighed as her eyes finally met Akko's. "I'm sorry, Akko. I should have told you sooner."

"No, it's okay. Just...a lot to take in." The brunette let out a long breath. "So why did you suddenly disappear years ago? You were just...gone." Akko asked quietly.

"Well, a lot of politics I guess." Ursula shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "There was a rumor started that I was part of a small group who supposedly cheated in the world cup, paying off referees and what not. I was always in the public spotlight so I was an easy target. Although they never found any evidence, my reputation had been tarnished by the rumors and, well, it got very ugly. I decided it was better for me, and the sport, to bow out and disappear." The blue haired woman hung her head sadly.

"But, it wasn't better for the sport." Akko stood up and put her hand on Ursula's shoulder. "You helped so many people, you gave them hope. You gave me hope." She added softly. "When I was sixteen, my best friend passed away. I was broken. I didn't think I could move on. I quit hockey, well, I quit everything." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck as she laughed sadly. "I was a mess. But you brought me back, Chariot. Your words to all the young girls around the world, telling them to never give up, to always believe in yourself and to rise up in the face of adversity. Your passion for hockey and life in general helped me pick myself up and continue doing what I loved. And I wouldn't be here today without you. So thank you, Chariot." Akko smiled wide for the first time in two weeks, making her idol reach out and pull her in for a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you, Akko." the blue haired woman whispered.

"Wait, so what are we supposed to call you now? Chariot or Ursula?" Amanda chimed in with her eyebrows furrowed. "Like, it'd be weird to call you Chariot now. Unless you dye your hair back to red. That was hot."

"Yeah it was." Croix added with a smirk as she turned to Amanda with her hand held up, the redhead in turn brought her own hand up and gave the lilac haired woman a high five. "Told you, Chariot." Croix flashed a toothy grin at her girlfriend and winked, earning a scowl from the blue haired woman.

"Amanda, I'd like to remind you that I am still your coach, and I control how many sprints you are going to do on Monday at practice." Chariot said with disturbing calmness to her player, making Amanda visibly gulp.

"I think you should."

A determined voice rang out in the awkward silence, making the coach twist around and face the brunette once more.

"You should be Chariot again. Don't let the past affect your future, because we need more Chariots in the world, not less." Akko stated resolutely, making the older woman smile warmly. "You don't have to hide anymore."

Before Chariot could say anything, a ringing noise came from Amanda's pocket. The redhead pulled out her phone and checked it before shoving it back in.

"Well, I hate to cut this little reunion short, but we have dinner waiting for us. And you know how Jas can get if we're too late, Akko." Amanda began walking toward the door.

"Oh, right!" The brunette stood up quickly to follow. "So we'll see you on Monday then coach."

"Hey Akko," Her coach called before Akko could get to the front door. The brunette turned around with her eyebrows raised, urging Chariot to continue. "Thank you."

Akko's face lit up with pride and joy at the words, looking happier than the coach had seen her all week. She gave a small nod before disappearing through the door and closing it behind her.

"Well, that didn't go as horribly as you thought it would, right?" Croix turned to look at her girlfriend and froze. Chariot was glaring daggers and walking slowly toward her. "Right?" The lilac haired woman's voice was an octave higher as she took a step back, but still the blue haired woman's expression didn't change. "Chariot, my love? My whole world? My reason to live?" Croix's attempt to appease Chariot fell on deaf ears as her girlfriend drew near. "Ah shit." The lilac haired woman turned her back and ran as fast as she could down the hallway with an angry Chariot right on her heels. "I'm sorry!" She yelled behind her.

* * *

Hannah and Barbara arrived back to their apartment after their usual Sunday morning breakfast together. Ever since they had started here at Luna Nova, it had been tradition to go to their favorite restaurant to have breakfast together. Although they lived together, it was nice for the two of them to get out of the apartment and hang out. Today, however, their experience had been somewhat irritating. They had to wait a long time for their food to be ready, and the check hadn't come for about an hour after they had finished eating. The waiter apologized profusely to the agitated girls, blaming lack of help on the usually busy Sunday morning breakfast rush. They spent the whole drive home complaining to the terrible start to their morning, and deciding that if the food hadn't been so delicious, they might never go back.

Hannah pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to their apartment, letting Barbara walk through first before closing it.

"So what do you want to do today Barb?" The auburn haired girl asked as she set her purse down on the table.

"Hmm...watch a romantic movie and eat ice cream?" Barbara replied, raising her eyebrows and cocking her head to the side.

"We just..." Hannah started before thinking for a moment. "Okay, why not. I'm going to go change."

"Yeah, me too." The black haired girl agreed, following her friend into the hallway toward their rooms. She paused when she saw something peculiar, though. The door to the bedroom that had formerly been Diana's was now open a few inches. She knew that neither of them hadn't even so much as touched the doorknob since their blonde friend left. They hadn't needed any more reason to dwell on the sad situation, so they left the room untouched. "Hey, Hannah? Did you go into Diana's room?"

"No?" Hannah stopped and turned around looking at her friend quizzically. "Why?"

"The door is open!" Barbara squeaked out. "Do you think someone broke in? What if they're hiding in there?"

"Calm down!" Hannah loudly whispered, although her worried tone told the other girl that she was also freaking out a bit. "We'll open the door together on three, okay?"

"Wait!" The black haired girl whispered as she ran down the hall out of sight before returning again almost immediately holding two candlesticks. She gave one to the confused auburn haired girl and held her own up like she was ready to strike.

"Candlesticks?" Hannah raised her eyebrow at her friend.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Okay fine, let's just do this." The auburn haired girl put her hand on the doorknob. "One, two, three!" She yelled as she pushed the door open and brought her own candlestick up above her head.

The two friends stood in the doorway without moving an inch, looking around the room in shock. The once empty bedroom was now furnished once more with the familiar furniture that had been there since they moved in almost a year ago. It was as if nothing had been moved, everything was in the exact place they had remembered it. The bed, the desk, the dressers were all in place. But the object the two girl's eyes paused on was the over sized chair in the corner which held a blonde figure with her legs crossed and a smirk on her face.

"DIANA!" Hannah and Barbara shouted in shock at the same time.

"You two are terrible at sneaking up on people." Diana said in amusement as she stood up off of the chair and began walking toward her friends.

The two girls crossed the room in a flash and threw their arms around the blonde, who had to regain her balance after almost falling from the force. Diana reciprocated the action, hugging Hannah and Barbara tightly as she reunited with her best friends.

"I see the restaurant did as they were supposed to. Although I didn't think they'd keep you as long as they did. I've been sitting here for quite some time."

"What?" Hannah and Barbara said in unison, stepping back.

"That was you?" The auburn looked at the blonde in surprise.

"I may have promised a very generous tip if they gave you terrible service." Diana chuckled. "I'm sorry girls."

"It's fine Diana." Barbara assured her with a wide smile. "But why are you back? What's going on? What about your company? Wait, does Akko know you're back?"

"Barbara, she can't answer your questions if you don't give her time to answer." Hannah tried to calm the excited girl, pulling her back a step and out of the blonde's face.

"It's quite alright Hannah. I will answer all your questions but I have a pressing matter I need to talk to you about first." Diana wrung her hands together nervously as she looked at her two friends. "Akko doesn't know I'm here, but I have a plan and I need your help to make sure things go correctly."

"Okay!" Barbara answered immediately. "What's the plan?"

"Why don't you sit down." The blonde gestured for the girls to sit on her bed, which they did quickly.

Diana took a deep breath and began explaining the plan she had come up with the night before. She knew it had to be perfect, a grand gesture to Akko. Hurting the brunette, while unintentional, had been the worst mistake she had ever made. She had to make sure that Akko knew that she was the most important thing in the world to Diana. She had to make sure that Akko knew how much Diana needed her, and wanted her, and above all else, how much she loved her. She would spend the rest of her life convincing Akko of this if she had to.

The plan was not overly complicated so it only took a few minutes to explain every detail, and when she was finished, Hannah and Barbara sat there silently. The auburn haired girl looked pleasantly surprised, and you could almost see heart eyes on the black haired girl as she put her hands over her heart.

"So?" Diana asked hesitantly. "Is it terrible?"

"Diana, it's so romantic! It's perfect!" Barbara gushed.

"You should wear that suit you had on when Amanda and I visited you. Akko's brain will short circuit when she sees how ho-" Hannah stopped herself, horrified, and cursing internally at how much Amanda had rubbed off on her. "How...uh...beautiful you are."

Diana arched an eyebrow at her blushing friend.

"And I'm sure Lotte and Amanda will help. They're going to be so happy!" The black haired girl added, clapping her hands together happily.

"Yes, we will contact them. And we need to get to the florist before they close." Hannah was counting off on her fingers as she turned around and began walking out of the room with Barbara at her side. "And we'll have to contact..." The girls voices trailed off as they left the room and entered the hallway, leaving a forgotten Diana alone in her room, laughing to herself.

The blonde looked around her room once more, taking in every beautiful inch of it.

"I'm home." She whispered to herself, inhaling deeply and letting the breath go before following her friends.

* * *

 _ **Monday…**_

Akko and Amanda sleepily walked up the path from the redhead's car to the Luna Nova hockey field. Now that school was out, their practices were held early in the morning, much to everyone's dismay. As they walked past the bleachers, the field came into view, along with their coach who was setting up cones for whatever drills they would be running that day. But there was something distinctly different about her this morning.

"Akko!" Amanda jabbed her friend with her elbow.

"Hmm?" Akko's sleepy eyes scanned the field until her eyes landed on her coach. No, her eyes landed on Chariot. The brunette smiled brilliantly at the sight of her coach's now red hair flowing in the morning wind.

Every girl coming up over the hill had paused briefly when they caught sight of their coach, eyes growing wide and looking at each other in confusion. After everyone readied themselves for practice, they sat on the bleachers like every other day, waiting for instruction. But today, there wasn't the usual happy chatter. Muted whispers filled the small area, everyone wondering what exactly was going on with their coach. Akko could pick out a few of the words that seemed most prominent, like 'hot' and 'sexy' and others that she wished she had not heard. She had enough trouble knowing that she had a risque poster of her coach in her room and… 'Ugh...not this again!' She screamed internally. 'Stop thinking about that...stop thinking about that!'

"Hello ladies, you may have noticed something a little different about me this morning." Chariot began, eyes flitting around nervously until she met Akko's crimson ones. The brunette was grinning at her, nodding encouragingly. The older woman smiled back and continued. "I won't waste anytime with explanations, but you can all call me Chariot from now on. And if you have any questions, which I'm sure you do, you can ask me after practice. Alright? Let's get on the field."

No one got up immediately, trying to process what their coach had just very quickly rambled on about. Amanda snorted and Akko slapped her forehead at the hurried short speech. They were the first ones to get up and move over to where Chariot waited on the field.

"Smooth coach." Amanda whispered to the older redhead as they approached her.

"So you want to play this game with me today, O'Neill?" Chariot smirked at her player before blowing her whistle. "Thanks to O'Neill here, I've added a suicide sprint to your usual warm up routine. Make sure to thank her later." She yelled loud enough for everyone to hear and then smiled menacingly.

"What?!" Amanda squeaked out, looking around at her now angry, groaning team.

"Come on girls! Chop Chop!" Chariot was having way too much fun with this. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her, her secret holding her back from truly being happy. But this morning, now having put the facade aside, she had never felt better.

After what seemed like the longest practice of their lives, Akko and Amanda sat exhausted on the bench next to their bags. They had emptied their water bottles and were now trying to find motivation to stand up on very tired legs.

"What the hell. This is all your fault Akko." Amanda mumbled, slowly standing up.

"What? How is this my fault?" Akko stood up quickly and faced her friend, wincing when she noticed her legs felt like jello.

"You should become Chariot again." The redhead mocked the brunette. "We need more Chariots! False, one Chariot is more than e-fucking-nough. And you are responsible for her return. Therefore, it is your fault." She began walking down the path toward campus.

"Well if you could keep your damn mouth shut!" Akko followed after her. "Wait, where are we going?"

"I need coffee." Amanda grumbled.

"Oh, okay. I could go for some coffee."

The two girls made their way to the cafeteria. Although the regular semester had ended, there was still a good amount of people occupying the tables. Summer classes were still being held, and also a lot of students had decided to stay over summer break. Akko followed Amanda to their favorite little coffee shop with the all too familiar barista waiting behind the counter for them.

"Well if it isn't Akko and Amanda. Long time no see ladies." Aaron, the barista, said cheerfully. Lemme guess, the usual?"

"You know us too well." Akko replied happily. "Thanks Aaron."

"No problem."

Aaron turned around and began to get their orders ready as the two girls patiently waited by the register. Akko dug through her bag, looking for the small wallet she usually carried around with her when two coffees and two pastries were set in front of her.

"There you go girls. And it's already been paid for." Aaron smiled at the brunette who was looking back at him in confusion. "And I'm supposed to give you this." He leaned down and pulled something out from underneath the counter. A single red rose with an envelope attached to it by an elegant looking blue ribbon tied into a bow.

"That's...for me?" Akko asked the barista while she hesitantly reached out and grabbed the rose. Aaron only nodded in reply. "Oh...o-okay. Thanks." She said softly, picking up her coffee and pastry before walking toward where Amanda stood.

"What's that for?" The redhead inquired with a half full mouth as she had already bitten into her pastry.

"I'm not sure." The brunette replied absentmindedly as she sat down in a chair at an empty table. After she was able to set her coffee and pastry down, she immediately undid the bow and pulled the ribbon off of the flower and envelope, which she was now able to open. Akko pulled out the letter from within and unfolded it. The writing was a beautiful cursive. After admiring the elegant stationary and the perfect handwriting, she began to read to herself.

 _This is the place I first laid eyes on you, Atsuko Kagari. You were impossibly cute and I couldn't take my eyes off of you, as you probably noticed. 'I can pay for it' were the very first words I heard you speak, the voice of an angel coming to the aid of a girl who was having a terrible day, and instantly brightening her whole world._

 _The first reason why I love you, Akko, is the inherent generosity you show to friends and strangers alike._

 _It's what brought us together after all._

 _P.S.- Witnessing your legs in those little red shorts nearly killed me, and it would have been a sweet death._

Akko read the letter three times before looking up at Amanda in shock. She then turned in her chair and looked around the cafeteria, hopeful that she'd get a glimpse of that familiar beautiful blonde hair. Her heart was racing at the mere thought of seeing Diana again, being able to look into her beautiful blue eyes...

"She's not here, Akko." The redhead said before casually taking another bite of her pastry.

"What?" The brunette quickly turned back to her friend. "How do you know? Wait, how did you know to bring me here?"

"A little red birdie told me." Amanda shrugged, trying to keep her tone even, but she was secretly squealing inside like a little girl, though she would never admit it. She was told very little by Hannah about why she was supposed to bring Akko here, but the outcome did not disappoint. She would have her best friend back soon, the real one. Not the mopey annoying one.

"Oh." The brunette eyed her friend suspiciously before glancing over the letter again. She smiled and bit her lip. Maybe Diana really did want her in her life. Although she wasn't sure what the flower and letter meant, she would take anything at this point. She missed the blonde dearly and this gave her hope that maybe Diana really did want her in her life. Akko would give anything for that to be true.

* * *

 _ **Tuesday…**_

Akko laid on her bed staring at the letter she had gotten the day before, which was already wore out by the amount of times it had been folded and unfolded again. The brunette had probably read it a hundred times in the past twenty four hours. The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her trance and looking up, she found Lotte standing in the opening.

"Hey, Akko. We decided to go to Lucky's bar tonight for dinner, Jasminka doesn't feel like cooking." Lotte said in her usual soft voice. "Are you ready?"

"Since when does Jasminka not feel like cooking? Has that ever happened?" Akko asked with her eyebrows raised.

The orange haired girl only laughed nervously and shrugged before walking away out of view, leaving a very confused brunette girl behind her. But just then, Akko's stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten for a very long time. Two whole hours. So even though bar food wouldn't be her first choice, she decided to go along with her friends. She stood up and folded the worn paper before stuffing it in her pocket and leaving her room.

Upon arriving at their favorite bar, the group of six girls walked inside and headed toward their usual table. Akko and Amanda walked behind the other four talking about the upcoming game. It seemed to be all they could talk about lately now that the brunette was almost back to her excited self. But suddenly the group stopped and Akko ran into the back of Jasminka, nearly falling over backward from the contact.

"What the! Why did you guys stop?"

"I think you should see this, Akko." Sucy's dull voice came from the front of the group.

With her brows furrowed, she squeezed between her friends and came to a stop next to Sucy, now seeing what her purple haired friend was talking about. Her breath hitched when she saw a chair sitting in the middle of the isle in front of the group's usual booth. The chair was in the exact same place as it had been when Diana was sitting on it at Akko's celebration, the same as when the brunette had given the blonde an impromptu lap dance. To this day Akko blushes every time she thinks about it. What had gotten into her that night? She just felt so comfortable with the blonde, even from the beginning.

"Another rose." She whispered to herself. A rose with the same fancy blue ribbon and envelope sat on the chair in the isle.

"Well don't just stand there dummy, go get it." Sucy said, slightly raising her eyebrow at the unmoving brunette.

"Oh. Right." Akko shook her head and walked over to the chair and pick up the rose and letter. She undid the bow and retrieved the letter out of the envelope before beginning to read.

 _The moment I saw you in this bar, I was mesmerized by your beauty and your confidence. And little did I realize that I would also be spellbound by your charm. I was so envious of your ability to let loose and have fun. Especially when, in this very chair, you gave me something I never thought I would EVER receive. But if it had to happen, I'm very happy I got that lap dance from the girl I would eventually fall in love with._

 _The second reason why I love you, Akko, is your courage and ability to lose your inhibitions._

 _You gave me the courage to ask you to dance that night, and you taught me how to not take myself so seriously. You make me happier than I have ever been, Atsuko Kagari, and I will do everything in my power to return the favor._

When Akko was finished reading, she held the letter up to her heart and smiled to the point that her cheeks ached. She made Diana happier than she'd ever been? And Diana was going to try to make her happy? Which means that Akko was going to see her again, and it seemed like it was going to be soon. Akko could barely stand the suspense. Where was all of this going?

"Can you move now? I'd like to sit down." Sucy droned, snapping Akko back to reality.

"Oh! Uh...sorry." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck when she noticed her friends all staring at her. She moved to the side and looked away blushing slightly, missing the uncharacteristic mirthful smile on Sucy's face as she passed. Akko looked once more at the letter before taking worn paper out of her pocket and folded the two together before stuffing them back in. "Alright, food!" The brunette said excitedly, making her friend's look at each other happily before picking up their menus.

* * *

 _ **Wednesday…**_

"Ugh! Why do I have to use the barbecue? Do you want our house to burn down?" Akko whined as Jasminka shoved a tray of steak and chicken into her arms. "Why can't Constanze or Amanda do it."

"You are the only person who is currently free, Akko." Jasminka said in her usual happy tone. "And I need someone's help. Will you help me?" The pink haired girl did her best to attempt puppy dog eyes.

"Oh alright." Akko groaned. She could never say no to her friends when they needed help. "I'll be out back I guess." She sighed as she walked toward the back door, opening it awkwardly while trying not to drop the tray she held. Once outside, she turned toward where the barbecue stood in the corner of the patio but stopped immediately, almost dropping her tray at what she saw.

A red rose hung at eye level from a thin string, coming from one of the second floor windows she supposed. The sides of her lips shot up into a brilliant smile as she set the tray down on the table as fast as she could before untying the rose. With shaking hands, she freed the envelope and opened it, taking out the stationary. With a deep breath, she began reading the increasingly familiar handwriting.

 _In this very spot, you gave me the honor of becoming your girlfriend. Something I had dreamed of time and time again since we first met. Our first date was something that I will remember for as long as I live. And the memory of the dance and the intimate kiss we shared, has been playing over and over in my mind since the moment it happened._

 _The third reason why I love you, Akko, is that no one has ever made me feel as special as you did that night, to make me feel as loved. You made me feel as though I was the only person in the world you wanted to be with._

 _And I want to show you, Atsuko Kagari, that you are the only person in this world that I want to be with._

"Oh my god!" Akko squealed to herself giddily as she jumped up and down in joy. "I can't..." She trailed off, looking at the paper with a wide grin. "I just..." She couldn't think straight. She couldn't even finish a complete sentence. The amount of love in her heart was closer to spilling over with each of these letters. She looked back the door leading into the house and sure enough, five heads were visibly sticking out in the opening, obviously spying on her. When they were noticed, they disappeared back into the house and Akko ran after them. "Come on guys!" The brunette whined loudly. "Somebody has to tell me what's going on here!"

* * *

 _ **Thursday…**_

Akko, Amanda and Jasminka dragged themselves from the redheads car and into the house after an especially grueling practice. It was just one day until the first game of the tournament, which meant the Thursday's practice had been the longest of the week. Chariot and the team had gone over every play multiple times until everyone executed their roles perfectly. But if one thing could be said about that morning, is that the team was ready, and Akko and Amanda had never been so confident about there chances to win.

"I'm going to go and die now." Akko said tiredly as she dropped her bag by the front door and trudged up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Yeah, okay. Me too." Amanda waved weakly behind her, but instead of going to her room, she flopped down on the couch.

"I'm very hungry." Jasminka said in a pained tone as she made her way to the kitchen.

Akko made it to the top of the stairs and opened her door. She walked in with her eyes half closed, already prepared to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. But after she closed the door and took off her flip flops, she noticed a now familiar object laying on her bed. A bright red rose contrasted the black blanket that was haphazardly draped over the bed. She slowly made her way over and picked up the rose, but was surprised that this time, there was two envelopes attached, one reading: ' _Read me first.'_ With a hum, she followed the directions and opened it.

 _A perfect ending to a perfect night. Skin on skin, your body against mine. I crave you, I crave your touch in every way. Wanting all of you, every second of every day. Giving myself to you, making you mine. If I could, I would stay in bed with you until the end of time._

 _The fourth reason why I love you, Akko, is you shared the most intimate side of yourself with me. You trusted me enough to do so. And to be honest, it was absolutely the best night of my life._

 _P.S.- I'm sorry I took down your picture of Chariot. It was a surprise to me, too, that I could be jealous of a picture. So in addition to this letter, I've included something to replace it in the second envelope._

Akko's eyes grew wide at the last sentence. She immediately tossed the letter onto her bed and picked up the other envelope, tearing into it with little care. What she pulled out was something she would have never expected. It was a picture of Diana in light blue lingerie, posing in almost the exact way Chariot had done in hers. If the brunette had been in cartoon world, her eyes would have ventured outside of her head and steam would have forcefully shot out of her ears.

"Oh dear lord." Akko breathed out as she stared at Diana's picture, salivating at the smooth exposed skin and delicate curves of the blonde's body. Her ears and cheeks burned a brighter red with every passing moment. The intimate photo also brought on a familiar warm feeling in her lower belly. She reluctantly put the picture down and took a deep breath and swallowed thickly before noticing another small paper that shared the envelope with the picture. She unfolded it and read.

 _If you dare show this to anyone, Atsuko Kagari, you will pay dearly._

Akko shivered at the thought of what Diana might do to make someone 'pay dearly'. And there was no way in hell she was ever going to let anyone see this picture. The brunette looked at it once more and smiled proudly. No one else saw this side of the blonde except her. This was for her eyes only. That body, was for her eyes only. She was the luckiest girl in the world.

* * *

 _ **Friday…**_

Akko stood at the center of the Luna Nova hockey field, facing a girl from the opposing team. The sun had gone down and the huge lights, set at each corner of the large grassy area, were blaring brightly. Something about playing under the lights gave the brunette a thrill. The atmosphere was different, the crowd seemed to cheer louder, and the game itself changed for her. And after the events of the past week, she was rejuvenated. She was the Akko everyone remembered her to be. The star hockey player, the energetic and unstoppable Atsuko Kagari, and proud captain of the Luna Nova women's hockey team. She was back.

The score had been close throughout the game, and right now, with only minutes to play, Akko's team was up by one point. The ball was placed on the ground by the referee in front of her. She took a look around at the stands full of people loudly cheering, scanning the bleachers for a certain blonde haired girl. Akko had hoped Diana would be there, but maybe it was hoping for too much. She wasn't even certain that the blonde had left London. Every time she picked up her phone to call or text Diana, she froze up. What was she supposed to say? She knew the roses meant something. She knew it was going somewhere at some point. But when and where? So Akko decided to be patient and let it take it's course. Instead of seeing the blonde, her eyes found her friends sitting in the front row, even Hannah and Barbara were there to cheer them on. Well, she was sure Hannah was there to cheer Amanda on, but even so, it made her happy to see them. Then her gaze landed on her Chariot, her coach. Rumors had spread quickly throughout the hockey world that Chariot had returned, and Akko had a suspicion that a lot of people showed up tonight just to see it for themselves. There were some signs being held up to prove it, which made the brunette giggle at the obvious embarrassment that donned her coaches face every time she saw one pop up.

"Are you ready?" A deep male voice said loudly to the two girls closest to him.

Akko gave a determined nod before his whistle blew. She knocked the ball back to Amanda and the game of cat and mouse began. The most important thing right now was to not let the other team steal the ball. They were up by a score and just needed to milk the time left. The brunette never liked that strategy, but she was afraid of what Chariot would do if she went against orders. Having Chariot as a coach was awesome, but the woman seemed to have adopted her former attitude along with her former hair color. And she was intimidating. No wonder she was one of the best in the world. Luna Nova easily kept the ball away from the opposing team long enough to ultimately win the game. The horn blew, signifying the end of the game and the crowd roared with joy, along with the girls on the field. The team met at the center of the field taking turns to hug each other before walking over to high five the girls from the opposite team, telling them all 'good game' in the process.

The stands began to empty and the noise faded away, allowing Chariot to call her usual post-game meeting on the field. The girls gathered around the coach who gave her usual praise and breakdown of things they were needing to work on before the next game. But something very different happened this time. Akko's eyebrows rose when she saw Croix out of the corner of her eye. The lilac haired woman was making her way to them with her hand behind her back. When she approached Chariot, she leaned over and whispered something into her ear. The older women turned around for a moment and exchanged something before turning around again, and this time, it was Chariot who had her hand behind her back. Akko and her teammates looked around at each other curiously, no one seeming to know what was going on.

"Well that's it for our meeting." Chariot finished before locking eyes with the brunette. "But I have something for Akko. Come here." The red haired woman gestured for Akko to come closer.

The brunette hesitantly made her way to where her coach stood and looked at her nervously. But Chariot only smiled warmly at her and pulled her hand out from behind her back. She was holding a rose attached to a letter. Akko let out a sigh of relief and happily took the rose out of her coaches hand. Doing the same as she had done all week, she immediately untied the bow and opened the envelope. She looked around a little nervously as her team and coach were all looking at her with mixed reactions of curiosity and happiness. She brought the letter closer to her face and read it silently.

 _The Luna Nova hockey field will forever hold a special place in my heart. Because this is the place where I fell head over heels in love with you, Akko. Never have I ever felt anything like I did when I was here with you. I never thought I'd meet someone who would completely turn my world upside down, but you did, in the best way possible._

 _The fifth reason why I love you, Akko, is because you changed me for the better. You brought out a better version of myself, someone I never thought I had inside of me._

 _Now we could go on and on about the reasons why I love you, because I can think of at least one hundred more, but I'm sure you wouldn't know what do with that many roses. So how about just a dozen more?_

 _Turn around, Akko._

"Turn around?" Akko whispered. Suddenly her eyes grew wide in realization before spinning herself around in a flash.

Standing there in front of her was Diana holding a dozen red roses, grinning widely with her teeth showing. She cocked her head to the side and gave a small wave the shocked brunette. Akko's eyes scanned the blonde, taking in the immaculate suit she wore. She was gorgeous. No, stunning. No, those words couldn't possibly explain how Akko saw the blonde right now. When her eyes finally made their way back up to Diana's, she knew she had been caught staring. The blonde donned a smirk and arched her eyebrow knowingly. But Akko didn't care. Not this time. Diana was a sight for sore eyes, and it had been too long since the brunette was able to see the real thing. Akko rushed forward stopping just inches away from the smirking blonde. Azure eyes stared deeply into crimson ones for a long moment.

Diana opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the brunette grabbing her tie and pulling her in. Akko took Diana in a deep kiss before letting the tie go and throwing her arms around the blondes neck, to which Diana followed suit, dropping the roses and wrapping her arms around the brunette at the waste, pulling her even closer. Clapping and cheering ensued, as a crowd had gathered around them, but to Akko and Diana, they were the only two people in the world. After a long, intimate kiss, they both pulled back and leaned their foreheads together as they gasped for breath.

"I missed you." Akko whispered, looking into Diana's eyes.

"I missed you too, Akko." Diana replied softly. "I will never put you through that again. I promise." She stared back with apologetic eyes. "I love you so much."

"Not as much as I love you." The brunette flashed her patented goofy smile.

"That's impossible." The blonde chuckled before taking Akko in a much softer kiss this time.

The brunette felt a tap on her shoulder to which she just slapped the hand away and continued kissing Diana. Again a tap on her shoulder came. Annoyed, she reluctantly pulled away from the blonde's lips and looked to the side, finding Amanda standing there.

"What? Can't you see I'm a little busy?" Akko's raised her eyebrows and jerked her head toward the blonde.

That's when she heard a man clear his throat behind her and Amanda pointed nervously. The brunette's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. She recognized that noise. She had heard it countless times before. Akko slowly let go of her girlfriend and turned around.

"Otousan? Okaasan?!" The brunette squeaked out, utterly horrified.

"Who?" Diana whispered as she leaned closer to Amanda.

"Her parents." The redhead replied quietly, making the blonde's breath hitch.

"Oh, shit."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _Meet The Parents_

"Otousan? Okaasan?!" The brunette squeaked out, utterly horrified.

"Who?" Diana whispered as she leaned closer to Amanda.

"Her parents." The redhead replied quietly, making the blonde's breath hitch.

"Oh, shit." The blonde said before swallowing nervously.

Amanda and Diana stood still behind Akko, all looking wide eyed at the stern looking older Japanese couple who stared back at them. The man's narrowed eyes locked onto Diana's for a long moment before his daughter broke the awkward silence between the five of them.

"You guys m-made it!" The brunette stuttered as she tried to act cheerful, her voice coming out shrill and forced, before laughing nervously. "What a surprise!"

"A surprise indeed. Seems to be the theme of the night." The man said flatly, raising an eyebrow at his daughter. "Imagine our surprise when we saw our daughter in such a compromising situation."

"You have been keeping things from us, Atsuko." The woman spoke for the first time in a chastising tone, furrowing her eyebrows at her daughter. "I think you'd better explain yourself."

It was Akko's turn to swallow nervously now. She had been keeping things from them, obviously. She had never even come out to them, fearing that they would react...unfavorably. Although her parents weren't the most strict, she knew that they were traditionalists. Even though the brunette and her family moved here when she was young, their household remained mostly the same as back in Japan. And she was sure that her parents wanted what others did for their daughter. To marry a man from an honorable family who can take care of her. What were they going to say when she told them that instead, she found an honorable 'woman' who can take care of her. I guess she is going to find out. Because it was impossible to hide it any longer. So she took a deep breath and cleared her throat before looking at her parents with determination.

"I'm gay." She stated simply, watching her parent's expressions closely.

The couple was silent for a long time, eyes flickering between their daughter and the girl they had caught their daughter kissing just minutes before. Diana did her best to remain stoic and composed, but inside she was a mess. Her heart was racing and she was concerned for her girlfriend. The blonde had no idea that Akko had never told them she was gay, and she was worried what the outcome was going to be. Her heart was sinking with every passing moment of silence, every moment they remained expressionless. Although she had to admit that she hadn't even thought about meeting Akko's parents, this is not how she could have imagined it happening. But what came next, nobody could have predicted. The older Japanese woman let out a snort before putting her hand over her mouth and began...giggling? Diana's jaw dropped at the action, Akko and Amanda's jaws followed in sync. The older man sighed and turned to his wife.

"Akemi, you couldn't even last five minutes?"

"I'm sorry, Haruto." Akko's mother replied, calming down a bit and then hugged the man's arm. "It's just so cute that she thought we didn't already know."

"Even so, this is not the time to giggle." Haruto replied sternly. "Besides, I don't know why you're so happy when I am the one who won the bet." The thin line of his lips turned into a smirk when he witnessed his wife's jovial expression turn into a pout.

"Haruto Kagari, there is no need to-"

"You already knew?!" Akko's voice effectively cut off her mother's lecture, making her parent's turn with a look of surprise. "Wait, what bet?!"

"Where we not supposed to know?" Her mother asked with her eyebrows raised. "If you were trying to hide it you did a terrible job."

Diana and Amanda turned away, both trying to suppress grins at the woman's bluntness. Akko's father just pinched the bridge of his nose, less than please at his wife's antics.

"Hey!"Akko furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Amanda didn't know I was gay. And her gaydar is always on point."

"Well Amanda needs to get her gaydar checked. It doesn't seem to be working correctly." Akemi crossed her own arms and smiled smugly.

"Hey!" Amanda finally chimed in indignantly.

The blonde watched the banter in amusement and awe. The similarities between Akko and her mother were uncanny, from their looks to their sassy attitudes. They were about the same height, which was shorter than Diana by a few inches, and their features were very similar. But one thing stood out to the blonde, one feature that undeniably gave away the fact that Akko was Akemi's daughter. The beautiful crimson eyes. Diana was brought out of her reverie when she heard Haruto clear his throat loudly again to get his bickering family's attention. The blonde wondered how many times he'd had to do that every day when Akko had lived at home with them. She guessed the number was probably quite high.

"Akko, what your mother is trying to say is that we've know for quite a while now." The mans voice was somewhat soft, but never seemed to lose it's fatherly sternness.

"And...you're not mad? You don't...care that I'm...gay?" The brunette asked hesitantly, glancing worriedly between her parents.

"Well, it's not what we...envisioned when we had a daughter," Haruto began before pausing to think over his words carefully. "but it is your life, Akko. Ultimately, we just want you to be happy."

"Yes, all we care about is that who you end up with," Akemi stopped and turned to eyes towards Diana, eyeing her warily before continuing. "will love you and take care of you." She then narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "And never, ever hurt you."

Diana's eyes widened slightly and she began to sweat. The cold look of the protective mother made a shiver run down her spine. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished when the woman turned her gaze to her daughter once more. Her lips quirked up into a warm loving smile as she held her arms open. Akko stepped forward and threw her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you." The brunette whispered before letting go and hugging her dad next.

"So Akko, why don't you introduce us to your...uh..." Haruto's voice trailed off as he cleared his throat once more and gestured in the general direction of Diana.

"Oh! Right!" Akko spun around and looked at Diana in surprise like she had completely forgotten the blonde girl was there. She slowly walked back to stand beside Diana and took a deep breath before she spoke again. "This is Diana Cavendish, my girlfriend." The brunette wore a brilliant smile as she grabbed the blonde's hand and interlocked their fingers. "Diana, this is my father and mother, Haruto and Akemi Kagari." She stated as she gestured to each of her parents.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. and Mrs. Kagari." Diana smiled warmly and did her best to keep her voice even, as to not reveal her nervousness.

"Cavendish?" Haruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. "As in Cavendish Medical?"

"The same." The blonde replied with a nod.

"Diana's the CEO!" Akko said excitedly, looking up proudly at Diana, who in turn looked at the brunette with a loving smile.

"CE..." The man's voice trailed off as he looked at his wife in shock before setting his gaze on Diana once more. "That's quite the position for someone so young."

"Yes yes, let's save the business talk for later shall we?" Akemi interjected. "Let's take our daughter to dinner, Haruto. She's so thin! It looks like she barely eats!" The older brunette began to poke at Akko's body, making the younger girl slap her hands, embarrassed.

"Oh she eats enough." Amanda said snickering. "I'm sure she'll eat a lot more now that Diana's back." The redhead winked at the blonde, who looked confused. So Amanda leaned in to whisper with an evil grin, making sure that no one else could hear her. "Because she'll be eating you."

"WHAT?!" Diana shrieked, making everyone in the area turn to look at her. The blonde had turned a deep shade of red at the comment, earning a confused look from her girlfriend. Amanda had her mouth covered, her shoulders shaking up and down as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Are you okay, Diana?" Akko asked, concerned at the now bright red color of the blonde's usually pale face.

"I'm fine, Akko." Diana breathed out after calming herself. "I just...need a moment to speak with Amanda here." She said the last part through grit teeth. She grabbed the redhead's wrist tightly and roughly tugged her, forcing Amanda stumble slightly before regaining her footing to follow the blonde. After they were out of earshot of any bystanders, Diana spoke again. "You can't just say things like that around her parents, O'Neill!"

"Oh come on, I whispered. They didn't hear me." The redhead rolled her eyes. "What are you getting so worked up about?"

"But if they did they would have found out that...that..." Diana's once bright red face was back to pale, even more so than usual.

"Ooooh...you don't want them to find out that you and Akko fu-" Amanda started.

"Amanda, if you could refrain from using that vulgar term, I'd appreciate it." Diana cut the redhead off and shot her a warning glare.

"Okay, okay." Amanda put her hands up in front of her. "How about you...don't want them to know that you stole their precious daughter's innocence?"

"Are you capable of ever saying anything helpful? What happened to the Amanda that came to London?" The blonde pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"Well, my friend is no longer in peril, so you get the old Amanda, and then some because of all the stress you caused me. Congratulations." The redhead flashed a mischievous grin.

"Oh joy." Diana said flatly as she rolled her eyes. "What about her parents? Anything I should know?"

"Hmm..." Amanda pursed her lips and tapped her chin with her pointer finger. "Her dad's pretty chill. But her mom is so extra. And I'm...a little terrified of her to be honest. Good luck with that." She began to walk past Diana, only pausing to pat the blonde on the back, and left her to join Akko and her parents.

The blonde let out a deep breath before turning around and following the redhead, her hands fidgeting behind her back as she approached the group. Akko, who had picked up the fallen roses, glanced at her with concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The brunette whispered to her girlfriend. When she only received a hurried nod in return, she just shrugged. "So, my parents are going to take us out to dinner! Can you give us a ride back to my house so I can shower and change?"

"I...I wouldn't want to be in the way of a family reun...wait...us?" Diana arched her eyebrow in curiosity.

"Heh...uh, they took the train." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck and turned to look at her parents now speaking to Chariot and Croix. Her mother was waving her hands animatedly along with each word she spoke. "My parents don't like driving long distances."

"Oh. I see." The blonde replied, also looking in Akko's parents direction. "I suppose I could do that." She said absentmindedly as she turned to look at the brunette again. Akko smiled at her appreciatively for a moment and then her smile faded.

"I'm so sorry, Diana. I had no idea they were coming and I know this is all a little overwhelming and I'm sorry that I didn't tell them about you before but we had had that whole thing, whatever it was and I did-" The brunette's rushed ramblings were cut off by Diana's lips softly pressing against her own, and the only sound she made after that was a quiet breathy moan.

"Don't apologize, Akko." The blonde whispered as her lips lightly brushed against Akko's. "Although I was hoping for a little...alone time with you tonight, I can wait until after dinner." Diana kissed the brunette once more before moving closer to her ear, but seeing Akko's parents begin their walk back over to them, she hurried with her next statement. "Even if I'd rather tear that skirt off of you right here and now."

"What?!" The brunette squeaked as she looked her girlfriend in disbelief, feeling her features being taken over by a burning blush. The smirking blonde gestured to something behind Akko, who turned just as her parents were approaching, and then turned back around quickly. "I'm going to get you back for that."

"I'd certainly love to see you try." Diana said hurriedly as the older couple stopped in front of them. Again their stares bore into her and her nervousness returned. She had no idea why she was feeling this way. She could talk to anybody, her training growing up made sure of that as she would need the skill to lead the company. But she couldn't help thinking she needed to impress these people. To make them believe that she was good enough for their daughter. But how? And was her mom really as terrifying as Amanda made her out to be? 'Note to self: Slap Amanda the next time I see her.' she thought before decided to break the awkward silence. "Akko tells me you don't have a car here, I'd love to give you a ride to her home if you needed it." She stated as confidently as she could, smiling politely.

"That's very kind of you, Diana, thank you." Akemi grinned happily at the blonde. "Akko! You're so red! Are you sick?" The woman asked in concern when she saw her blushing daughter. She stepped forward and immediately put her hand to Akko's head, testing the temperature.

"I'm...fine." The brunette said grumpily as she pushed her mother's hand away. "Can we go? I really need...a shower." She glanced over at her girlfriend who's lips were twitching, no doubt holding back another smirk. Akko stuck her tongue out at the blonde.

"Yes, let's get going. It's late enough for dinner as it is." Haruto said in his usual stern tone. "If you would lead the way, Diana."

"Of course." The blonde took her girlfriend's hand and led them over to where her bag was laying on the sidelines of the field. After Akko was ready, Diana led the group down the cement path toward where her BMW was parked.

"Oh, Haruto! This car is so fancy and beautiful! I want one!" Akemi exclaimed when they stopped in front of the black car, making her husband let out a sigh as he opened the back door for the woman.

"There's nothing wrong with the one you have now." He grumbled, closing the door after Akemi had slid in and walked to the other side.

The drive to Akko's home was short, thankfully. The brunette couldn't seem to stop talking, which in any other case wouldn't have bothered Diana, but when all Akko could talk about was her, prodigy of Luna Nova, now CEO of her family's company, the blonde grew increasingly uncomfortable as she drove. Diana was sure that Akko's parents could care less about her accomplishments. They probably wanted to hear about how their own daughter was doing after being away for so long. But Akko being Akko, she missed the clear disinterest on the faces in the backseat. This was going to be a long night.

They arrived at the house at the same time as Amanda and Jasminka and after a greeting, they followed the two inside. Inside was a familiar sight of the other girls hanging out in the main living area. It was a comforting sight for Diana. It was odd to think she had missed them, and that this motley crew had become important to her. But when she noticed the stares she received, she wasn't sure if she'd be welcomed back with open arms anytime soon.

"You all...uh...remember my parents. And...Diana." Akko must have also noticed the looks they were receiving. "You guys can go ahead and sit." She gestured toward the empty love seat, urging her parents to sit. They began to move as the brunette took Diana's hand and began to lead her toward the stairs.

"Are you taking Diana to shower with you?" Sucy's disinterested voice came from the other side of the room, making Akko and Diana stop in their tracks.

The pair turned with wide eyes to their purple haired friend, who was now snickering uncontrollably. They then turned to look at the shocked expression's on Haruto and Akemi's faces. Silence filled the room except for a few muffled snickers.

"That's n-not what I was doing, Sucy." The brunette's voice cracked, every inch of skin slowly turning red as she glared at her friend.

"I would certainly hope not!" Akemi's stern voice rang out, her narrowed eyes landing on Akko and Diana, making them let go of each other's hands immediately.

"I'm...just...going to go get ready now. Lotte, can you come upstairs for a minute please?" The brunette looked pleadingly at her friend, who immediately stood up, nodding her head.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Kagari." Lotte flashed them a polite smile as she passed and paused when she approached Diana. "Welcome back, Diana." She smiled and whispered before continuing on behind Akko who led her up the stairs.

Diana smiled back as she watched the pair disappear, but the smile was short live when she could practically feel two pairs of eyes glaring at the back of her head. She turned slowly, and without making eye contact with the older couple, she walked over to the couch and sat down next to where Amanda had plopped down only a few minutes before. Akko's parents finally made their way to the love seat and sat down. Awkward silence filled the room as no one quite knew what to say at this point. Diana prayed for a miracle that someone could take the attention off of her. But that seemed too much to ask for when the redhead leaned over and whispered to her.

"Were you really going up to take a shower with Akko? Bold move."

"I was not!" Diana quietly spat back. "I don't know why she wanted me up there."

"She probably wanted a quickie." Amanda laughed evilly as she watched the blonde's face once again turn red.

"Did you just say quickie?" Sucy asked, from the other side of Amanda, with a mischievous smile.

Diana knew that the purple haired girl had heard the redhead clearly, and figured this was just some weird act of revenge for hurting Akko. Not that she didn't think she deserved it, but the brunette's parents attention was now on her again, and she could only imagine what was running through their heads. But to her surprise, Amanda spoke up.

"I...uh...I did. But Diana here...informed me that it's pronounced quiche." She made sure to draw out the pronunciation to make her point. "Heh, silly me."

Diana turned to the redhead with her eyebrows raised, as did everyone else in the room. She also noticed the disappointed look on Sucy's face, which made the blonde glare at her icily, but the purple haired girl hadn't noticed, already losing interest in the situation. Then she turned to Akko's parents, who just seemed utterly confused at the whole exchange, thankfully. She leaned over toward Amanda.

"Thank you." She whispered gratefully, to which the redhead smiled and shrugged.

* * *

Akko dragged Lotte into her room and shut the door. Then the brunette frantically began going through the clothes hanging in her closet and mumbling to herself as her friend watched with her eyebrows furrowed.

"Did you need my help with something, Akko?" She asked meekly.

"I need your help choosing an outfit, Lotte. I want to look really nice because...well, you saw Diana...in that...suit." She paused as she bit her lip, thinking about the way Diana's tightly fitting pants hugged her curves just right, the way she could just grab that tie and pull her in, the way her neck was exposed, pale skin begging for contact with Akko's lips, tongue and teeth. The brunette shivered at the thought, a warm sensation now present in her lower belly.

"Um...Akko?" Lotte asked hesitantly, shaking the brunette's shoulder gently to pull her out of her daydream.

"Oh! Uh...sorry." Akko shook her head and went back to looking for an outfit to wear.

"Why don't you go shower and I'll take a look, okay?" The orange haired girl offered.

"Right. Thank you, Lotte. You're the best!" Akko shouted as she gathered her things and ran out the door, heading to the bathroom.

Lotte just giggled and sighed before moving to the closet. She knew Akko had a few dresses in there, although she had never seen the brunette wear anything but shorts or pants aside from her uniform skirt. But as she neared the very back, she saw it. It seemed so out of place among her other clothes, even compared to the sundress she owned for some unknown reason. It was the epitome of what they call a 'little black dress'. Little indeed. Lotte pulled the dress out and notice the tags were still attached. With a hum, she turned the dress back and forth, inspecting it. It would be very short, and it was backless. She could only imagine the look on Diana's face if Akko walked down the stairs in this. She would short circuit for sure. The orange haired girl smiled at the thought. Yes, this is it. Now she needed a few accessories. Lotte had a bad habit of buying jewelry, but cases like this seemed to justify her little problem. She quickly made her way to her own room and returned shortly with an armful of items. Just as she dropped everything on the bed, Akko entered the room with a towel wrapped around her.

"That was fast." Lotte said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, I can't leave Diana down there with my parents for too long." The brunette said in passing before disappearing into her closet. Just a moment later, she came out in a tank top and short shorts. "Okay, what do you have for me?" She said, rubbing her hands together.

Lotte held up the little black dress and Akko went pale.

"I...w-where did you..." She trailed off and laughed nervously. "I forgot I had that."

"You wanted to look nice right? This is the nicest thing you have, Akko. And I think it's perfect." Lotte eyed the dress again. "Diana is going to flip." That got the brunette's attention.

"You think so?" Akko asked hopefully.

"I know so. Now come on. Let's get you ready quickly."

"Wait...are those...heels? Lotte I don't do heels!" The brunette's voice went an octave higher.

"I've seen you walk in heels. You're fine."

"If I twist my ankle, I'm telling Chariot it's your fault."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Diana sat silently on the couch, watching the game that was now being played by Sucy and Constanze on the television. They had only been waiting for about thirty minutes, but it had seemed like an eternity. Akko's parents, or her mom at least had warmed up, having conversations with the other girls in the room. The blonde would comment here and there when asked a question, but otherwise, her nervousness kept her from socializing too much. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat loudly behind them, effectively gaining everyone's attention. Lotte stood at the bottom of the stairs beaming with joy. And Akko was standing a few steps up from her, seemingly embarrassed by the sudden attention.

"Holy shit." Amanda whispered to no one in particular.

Diana nodded silently in agreement as she took in her girlfriend's appearance hungrily. The first thing she noticed, of course, was the length of the black dress, only covering about half of Akko's thighs. Her smooth, toned legs were exposed. Thin straps held the dress on her shoulders, showing off the perfect physique of her shoulders and arms. Her hair wasn't in her signature half ponytail, as she had let her hair down completely, and styled it slightly wavy. A beautiful silver necklace adorned her neck, dropping low, perfectly complimenting the low cut of the of the dress. The blonde's eyes moved down Akko's body once more, not stopping at her legs this time, although they were her favorite thing about the brunette's body, but she now noticed the black high heels. And that was the point that Diana's brain no longer seemed to function. The world faded away as she made eye contact with the gorgeous girl who held her heart. She moved absentmindedly off of the couch and walked toward Akko with only two thoughts in her mind. 'I'm the luckiest girl on this planet' and 'I can't wait to take that dress off of her'. She reached the stairs, not really remembering how she got there, and looked up at her girlfriend.

"You are the most beautiful girl in this world, Akko." She said in awe.

"I...uh...think I should be telling you that." Akko blushed, but smiled brightly.

"You could..." Diana trailed off as she climbed a step, now just barely shorter than the brunette, and took her hand with her own. "But I wouldn't believe you." She smiled toothily up at her girlfriend while bringing her hand up to her lips and placed a soft kiss on top.

Akko blushed furiously at the action looking away from her girlfriend before her heart decided to beat right out of her chest. That's when she noticed that every pair of eyes were watching them.

"Diana, everyone's watching us." The brunette whispered quickly, her eyes flickering to each person in the room.

"Let them."

"My mother looks like she's about to cry."

"What? Why?"

"And my father looks like...well, he looks about like he always does. But I think he's ready to leave."

"Akko..." Diana tried to calm the frantic girl, and was successful when she took her other hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Akko said after taking a deep breath.

"Let's go." The blonde interlocked their fingers and turned around, now seeing what Akko was talking about when she told her that everyone was watching. But she didn't care anymore. Nothing could possibly ruin her spirits, nothing could ruin their night. She confidently walked with Akko across the room, toward the front door. And as they passed, she could hear Akemi whispering to her husband.

"Why don't you treat me like that, Haruto. We need more romance in our lives." The woman lightly slapped her Haruto on the arm.

Diana had to suppress a chuckle at what she heard as they passed, but Akko let out a quiet giggle. Her parents followed them out of the house and back to the car so they could finally make their way to the restaurant. This was the first time Diana saw Haruto smile. Food made him happy. Getting to know her parents a little better, the blonde now understood why Akko was the way that she was, and she was thankful. Because she wouldn't want her any other way.

They arrived at the restaurant that Haruto had made reservations for. It was definitely upscale, and Akko was thankful that Lotte had convinced her to wear the dress. Well, she was already thankful after seeing her girlfriend's reaction. They walked in and were immediately led to a table, and the waiter was ready to take their drink orders.

"We'll have a bottle of your sauvignon blanc." Akemi said to the waiter before anyone else could speak.

"Of course, madam." The young man gave a curt nod and departed.

Akko leaned over closer to Diana.

"I hope you like white wine, it's her favorite." She whispered, making the blonde grin.

"It's fine, Akko." Diana took Akko's hand under the table as they listened to the banter between the older couple.

The dinner went smoothly, the blonde growing more and more comfortable as the minutes wore on. Even Haruto seemed to warm up to her now that he was being fed. But there came a point when Diana had been silent for a while as Akko rambled on about something or another, and she decided to have a little fun with her girlfriend. She reached down and set her hand on Akko's bare thigh and began rubbing small circles into the skin with her thumb. The brunette stuttered through her whole next sentence after letting out a small gasp at the contact. Akko looked over at Diana with her jaw clenched and her eyes widened slightly, silently asking 'what the hell are you doing?'. The blonde successfully kept a straight face, only arching her eyebrow slightly.

"So...uh...yeah. I-I looked in the b-box of s-stuff, and that's h-how I found out she was Ch-Chariot." The brunette continued her story to her parents as the blonde's hand move farther up her thigh, making Akko breath a little heavier.

"Are you okay, Akko?" Akemi furrowed her eyebrows at her daughters strange behavior.

"Ahhh…I'm fine." Akko grabbed Diana's hand before it could go any further and held it tight, making the blonde bight her cheek as she tried to suppress a giggle. The brunette took a big gulp of her wine until it was empty.

"If you'll excuse me, I must use the restroom." Diana stood and placed her napkin on the table before turning and leaving toward the restroom.

Akko glared after her as she left, not fully believing what had just happened. 'What has gotten into her tonight?' she asked herself. Then a look of determination crossed her face. 'Two can play this game'.

"I need to use the restroom too. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for a reply, she stood up quickly and walked away from her parents, heading toward the door that Diana had gone through. After pushing the door open aggressively, she found a surprised Diana drying her hands off with a towel.

"Akko, you startled me!" The blonde put her hand up to her heart. "What are y-" She was cut off when Akko grabbed her wrist and pulled her into one of the two stalls in the large bathroom and closed the door behind them. "What are you do-" Again she was cut off, but this time Akko had pushed her up against the wall opposite the door. "Ak-"

Akko immediately crashed her lips into the blonde's, wrapping her arms around her neck. Diana let out a needy moan into the brunettes mouth and grabbed her hips to pull her closer. The blonde took Akko's bottom lip lightly between her teeth, causing Akko to let out a whine before deepening the kiss, tongues clashing together. Breaking the contact, Akko pulled her head away to catch her breath, but only for a moment. She moved in once more and began placing kisses along Diana's jawline as she moved her hand from around the blonde's neck to her collar bone and then lower, making Diana's breath hitch.

"A-Akko. Your parents..." The blonde said between heavy breaths, unable to complete her sentence as her head spun from Akko's ministrations. "Why..."

The brunette kissed her way to Diana's ear and nibbled a bit for she whispered.

"I told you I'd get you back."

Akko stepped back with a smirk painted on her face before turning around taking a step toward the door. Suddenly she was stopped by Diana's arms wrapping around her pulling her back toward the wall. The brunette giggled as she walked backward until she felt soft kisses being placed on her neck and nibbles on her shoulder. She bit her lip and let out a low moan.

"I can't have you one upping me, you know." Diana whispered into Akko's ear, lips brushing lightly against it, making the brunette shiver.

"So what are you going to do about it, Cavendish?" Akko asked, seductive and playful.

With the challenge, the blonde bent down slightly and ran her fingernails up the brunette's thigh.

"I could take you right here, do you think you could keep quiet?" Diana chuckled mischievously at Akko's quiet whines as her fingernails bypassed the brunette's sensitive core.

"Dianaaa! Stop teasing." Akko begged.

When the teasing didn't stop, the brunette grabbed the teasing hand and moved it upward to where she needed it. She was so close already and even at first contact, a wave of pleasure came over her. She put her hand over her mouth to quiet herself, making sure that no one outside the bathroom could here what was going on. Heavy breathing and muffled moans filled the otherwise silent bathroom as Akko was pushed past her breaking point. The brunette's legs shook as she leaned back against Diana, who held her up until she came down from the high and caught her breath.

"That was...wow." The brunette breathed out, finally standing on her own. She turned around and stared into her girlfriend's loving azure eyes. "I can't believe we just did that."

"You mean that wasn't your intention when you came in and attacked me?" Diana smirked and leaned in, pressing her lips once more to Akko's. But pulled back in surprise when the brunette began to undo the blonde's pants. "Akko, st-"

They both froze when the door to the bathroom opened and they heard heels clicking against the tile. The person took a few steps in and stopped.

"Akko? Are you still in here?"

Akko and Diana looked at each other, horrified when they heard the voice of Akemi. The brunette's mother had walked in on them fooling around. Diana quietly shifted into the back corner, out of sight, as she buttoned up her pants. When Akko looked back at her with a terrified expression, the blonde nodded and gestured toward the general direction of where Akemi might be standing, urging Akko to say something.

"Uh...yeah." The brunette said awkwardly.

"Are you okay? You have been in here for a while. Where's Diana?"

Akko looked to Diana again, seeking an answer. When the blonde put her hand up to her ear mimicking a phone, the brunette nodded.

"Phone." She said aloud.

"What?" Her mother asked, clearly confused.

Diana brought her hand up and quietly slapped her head. Then she mouth 'phone call' to Akko, trying to be as clear as possible. The brunette then mouth 'o' and gave her a thumbs up before turning around, missing Diana rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up into the air.

"She had to take a phone call. She's probably outside." Akko tried to keep her tone casual.

"Oh, well, are you almost done? We've paid the check and are heading outside."

"Okay. Yeah, I'll...uh...be out in a minute."

"Alright, oh and another thing."

"What?"

"Next time I'd advise that you two wait until to get home to do whatever it is you're doing."

"EH?!" Akko turned around quickly to see Diana with her face in her hands shaking her head.

"Okay, see you two soon!" Akemi cheerily stated as she turned and walked out.

"Oh my god." The brunette said quietly. "She knew the whole time! How does she know everything?! Diana?"

"I could just die right now." The blonde said, shameful and embarrassed.

"It could have been worse, she could have _seen_ us having sex." Akko stated thoughtfully. She then saw the death glare coming from her girlfriend and backed away slowly with her hands held up. "Heh heh. Let's...uh...get out there. Where there's more people. Because I'm a little frightened of you right now."

With a sigh, Diana softened her expression and walk forward until stopping in front of Akko. She leaned down and gave her one last kiss.

"You owe me." Was all the blonde said before she winked and opened the stall door, allowing the brunette to walk through first.

Akko giggled as she passed and took Diana's hand in her own. They made their way through the restaurant and stopped at the glass doors that led outside. The brunette's parents were waiting for them by the BMW.

"She seemed...fine with it, right?" The brunette said nervously. "I'm a little afraid...of my mom."

That's when the blonde had a flashback of her conversation with Amanda at the field. The words repeated in her head. _'_ _But her mom is so extra. And I'm...a little terrified of her to be honest'_ is what she had said. One thought flashed in her mind when she suddenly locked eyes with Akemi through the glass. 'I'm so dead'.

"It'll be fine, Akko. It's...fine. I'm sure it's fine."

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Totally fine."

"Yup."

"Open the door, Akko."

"Just give me second okay?!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 _I Love You More_

"Just don't look her in the eyes." Akko whispered to Diana as they finally made their way, hand in hand, out of the quickly emptying restaurant.

"Akko, I can't avoid eye contact with your mother. It's rude to do so if I am addressed." The blonde frantically whispered back. "I think you may be overreacting just a bit."

"Am I, Diana? Am I reall...hey...parents...of mine!" The brunette switched gears immediately upon noticing how close they'd gotten to the older couple, and the unimpressed stares being sent their way. "Are you...uh...r-ready to go?" Akko laughed nervously, glancing quickly at her girlfriend. Suddenly she was envious of the blonde's ability to put on a neutral mask in any situation.

"Quite ready." Haruto stated as he opened the car door for his wife. "It has been a rather exhausting day."

Following his lead, Diana opened the passenger side door for Akko, who in turned blushed and gave the blonde a quick peck on the lips before sitting. Diana smiled fondly as she watched the giddy girl, surprised that such a simple thing could elicit such a reaction. She knew she was in love with Akko, she had been for some time now, but somehow tonight she had fallen even more. With each simple moment like this, she was drowning further and further in Akko. And she never wanted to come up for air.

"Ah Haruto, don't be such an old man. It doesn't suit you." Akemi joked, smiling slyly at the grumbling man. "We were able to see our daughter play for the first time in a long time, and she didn't even hurt anyone this time. She's improving!"

"Okaasan!" Akko whined loudly. "That was one time! It's not like I meant to give that girl a concussion." The brunette puffed out her cheeks in a pout before turning her head toward Diana who had entered the car, but was now staring at her with her eyebrows raised.

"You...gave someone a concussion?" The blonde asked in disbelief.

"Okay, can we not...talk about this. Okaasan clearly thinks I am some brute, smashing people up every chance I get." Akko sighed dramatically.

"Well little Akko, you got that fire from your mother. She only thinks that because of how she acted at your age." Haruto laughed loudly at the glare and elbow now being sent his way from his unamused wife.

As the couple bickered back and forth in the backseat, Diana and Akko watched them with amused smiles before the blonde turned her gaze to her now giggling girlfriend. So this was what having a loving family was like. She had forgotten. It had been so long since her mother was alive that she had even forgotten how to love until this whirlwind of a girl turned her life upside down. She wondered, then, if her mother would have liked Akko. She wondered what she would have said when Diana told her she was gay, or she might have already known like Akko's parents had. Would she like Akko's parents? Although this was a happy moment for her, Diana couldn't help but feel saddened thinking about all the happy moments she could have shared with her mother if it weren't for the cancer. That's why finishing school was so important. If she could help even just one person save those moments with their loved ones, it would all be worth it.

"Hey, Diana?" Akko asked hesitantly, waving a hand in front of the blonde's face.

"Oh." Diana blinked a few times and shook her head slightly. "I apologize, Akko. I was somewhere else for a moment." The brunette must have seen the sadness in her eyes, because she wore a look of concern. Akko reached out and took the blonde's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You okay?"

"Yes, Akko. Thank you." Diana squeezed her girlfriend's hand back. "So where are we going now?" She asked, her voice a little louder now so that Akko's parents could hear her.

"To the Hilton please, Diana. I'm afraid we must turn in for the night." Akemi said reluctantly.

With a silent nod, the blonde started the car and began driving toward the mentioned hotel while her girlfriend kept a close eye on her for a good couple of minutes. After growing bored, or becoming satisfied that Diana was, in fact, okay, Akko turned her head to look at her parents.

"So how long are you staying?" The brunette asked, hopeful that she could see them again the next day.

"Unfortunately I have a meeting tomorrow morning, Akko." Haruto spoke up, voice regretful. "I'm sorry we could not be here to celebrate your birthday."

Diana ears perked up at this. Akko's birthday? Had she been such a terrible girlfriend that she had never asked when her birthday was? And it was close by the sounds of it. 'Oh god, what if it was tomorrow?' She internally screamed. What was she going to do? She couldn't just ask Akko, she should know these things. The blonde's face twitched, daring to give away her struggle. She forced herself to remain cool and collected and listen to the rest of the conversation. She glanced over at Akko, her face was crestfallen, clearly sad that her parents were leaving so soon. She must have missed them dearly.

"Oh, hey, that's okay. I know how the business goes." The brunette flashed a sad smile at her parents and then at Diana. "I'm just glad I got to see you guys tonight." Her smile became a little happier at the last words.

The car fell silent once more for a few more minutes until Diana slowed down and parked her car in front of the Hilton hotel. All four occupants exited the vehicle and gathered on the sidewalk. The blonde felt a little awkward as the family was saying their goodbyes. She stood a few feet away, shuffling on her feet and looking at anything but the sad farewells. Until she heard someone say her name.

"Haruto, Akko, I need just a minute to speak with Diana." Akemi stepped back and turned toward Diana, who's eyes had grown wide. Akko followed suit with her own eyes.

"Akemi, you'll play nice now, won't you?" Haruto joked, earning another glare from his wife as she began walking over to where the blonde stood.

The comment didn't help quail the fear that was quickly growing inside of Diana, it did the opposite. Her hands began to fidget and she started to sweat. Her mind raced, coming up with every single reason as to why Akko's mother would want to speak to her privately. There were the obvious instances that stuck out, making out with her daughter in the middle of a celebration on the hockey field? Being caught with her daughter in a very compromising position in a bathroom stall? Okay, Akemi couldn't be sure that that's what they were doing, but it had sounded like she had guessed correctly anyway. What if she thought that Diana had corrupted her daughter? What if they didn't approve of her? And she was going to politely ask her to stay away from her daughter? What if…?

"You seem to be distracted, Diana."

Diana jumped a bit at the voice that was now very close to her. Her eyes locked onto Akemi's kind crimson ones for a moment before searching for Akko and her father, who were now farther down the sidewalk giving the blonde and older woman some privacy. Diana visibly swallowed as her gaze again returned to Akemi.

"I'm sorry, it's been an overwhelming night to say the least." The blonde breathed out, giving away her nervousness. Like with Akko, she couldn't seem to keep her composure when talking to the brunette's mother.

"It has, hasn't it." Akemi chuckled. "I must tell you, though, that Akko is our daughter and as you can imagine, all we want for her is to be happy. And you obviously make her very happy, Diana." The woman smiled warmly at her, making Diana's nervousness fade a way a bit. "But I have developed a few questions throughout the night that I would like answered, honestly." Akemi's warm smile turned into that stern motherly stare that Diana had seen earlier in the night. The tension that had faded away from the blonde came back in full force.

"Y-yes, I'll gladly answer a-any questions." Diana winced at her own stuttering.

"Okay then. First question. What are your intentions with my daughter?" The older woman stared at the blonde expectantly with her eyebrows raised.

"I...excuse me?" Did Diana really just hear that correctly?

"What are your intentions? You are rich and successful. You could probably have just about anyone you want. If you are are simply using my daughter to put another notch in your belt-"

"Excuse me?!" Diana said a little louder, voice now growing more confident. "I am doing no such thing with your daughter Mrs. Kagari. You don't even know me. How could you even make such an absurd assumption?" The blonde had unknowingly taken a step forward and was now towering over the smaller woman.

"So...your intentions?" The unflinching woman asked again, lips twitching and an eyebrow arched.

"My intentions are to stay with Akko. She is the only one I want...the only one I love. I am so in love with your daughter." The blonde's voice was more calm now, desperate even.

"You love my daughter?"

"Yes!"

"And you want to stay with her?"

"Yes!"

"For how long?"

"For forever!" Diana said without thinking just like the other answers. But this had bigger implications. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. The rapid fire style interrogation had caught her off guard. She wanted to stay with Akko forever. She had come to that realization before, but somehow saying it out loud was much different. Was it wrong to think that way after only knowing someone for less than two months? The pain she had felt being away from Akko for just two weeks was almost unbearable. And she never wanted to feel that way again. Of course she'd want to stay with her forever.

"Good answer." Akemi praised with a smirk. When Diana remained silent and in shock, the woman continued. "And my little Akko has some good taste. I couldn't have picked anyone better myself for a future daughter-in-law."

"What?" The blonde ended her silence with an undignified squeak as she spoke. "T-that...That's...let's not...uh..."

"What? You don't want to marry my daughter?" Akemi asked, eyebrows furrowed and a finger jabbing into Diana's chest.

"Of course I do! I just-"

"Well, okay then. That settles it." The older woman nods sternly and begins to turn around but stops halfway. Turning her head to lock eyes with Diana once more, a warm and amused smile graced her features before she spoke. "Welcome to the family, Diana." Akemi turned fully now and walked away from the shocked blonde to return to her family.

"What in the hell just happened?" Diana whispered to her self as she watched Akko's mother's retreat.

She stood frozen as she locked eyes with Akko. After noticing her girlfriend's shock, the brunette eyed her mother suspiciously before saying something that Diana could not make out. And to Diana's amusement, it seemed that Akko began to scold her own mother in the blonde's defense. It didn't seem that it was having the effect that she intended, because Akemi had a hand over her mouth, most likely trying to hold back laughter. But Diana found Akko's actions sweet and endearing. After watching that, the blonde had almost forgotten about the bewildering exchange with the older woman. Almost…

"Diana!" Akko called to Diana and gestured for her to come and join the family. The blonde relented and made her way to them.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Diana. I hope I can trust you to take care of our daughter?" Haruto smiled and held out his hand to which Diana took it and shook firmly.

"Of course sir." The blonde replied with a toothy smile.

"I don't need someone to take care of me." Akko grumbled and folded her arms defiantly.

"Of course not dear." Akemi chuckled and patted the brunette on the back. "But it seems that we need to find someone who will keep you two out of bathroom stalls." The woman winked at them.

"Oh my god, okaasan!" Akko whined and covered her face in embarrassment before she grabbed Diana's hand and began to drag her toward the BMW.

"Oh come on, Akko. Your father and I were your age once, we understand!" Akemi called out, laughing.

"Please stop talking!" The brunette yelled without looking back, face growing more red by the second.

"We love you, Akko!"

"I love you too but I'm leaving now!"

"Good to meet you Diana!" Akemi yelled.

Diana stopped and turned around to wave, only to be nearly pulled over as Akko had not stopped and still had a tight grip on her hand. This time, it was Akko who opened the door for Diana, but it was to ensure a quick getaway rather than a sweet gesture. After the blonde sat down in the driver seat, the brunette nearly ran around the car and got in quickly. She looked back and saw her parents still standing there, Akemi doubled over laughing and Haruto pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm so sorry, Diana. I don't know when she got so...embarrassing." Akko covered her face again and groaned.

"Akko..." Diana said as she giggled. When the girl just groaned again, the blonde reached over and pried her hand off of her face and took it into her own hand, interlocking their fingers. "Akko..." She said again softly. When the brunette finally opened her eyes and looked at her, Diana brought her hand up to her lips and kissed Akko's knuckles. "Your parents are lovely. And a little crazy." She held up her other hand showing a tiny space between her thumb and pointer finger, making her girlfriend giggle and relax a bit.

"So what did she say to you?" Akko asked softly as she traced Diana's knuckles with a finger from her free hand.

The blonde froze, and although she kept her expression neutral, her girlfriend noticed how her muscles tensed suddenly.

"Oh god, what did she say?" The brunette asked once again, this time with a horrified look on her face.

"Nothing bad. I promise." Diana replied, voice an octave higher. "Just...maybe we shouldn't talk about it?" 'If only she knew, she'd probably run in the opposite direction and never come back' the blonde thought to herself. How could she let herself be baited like that? If Mrs. Kagari would excel in any profession, it would be interrogation.

"Oh."Akko nodded her head slowly, narrowing her eyes a bit. "If you say so. I guess I can just get it out of my mom the next time she's drunk." She shrugged and smirked when Diana's face paled.

"You...that isn't fair, you know." The blonde crossed her arms and huffed.

"Are you...pouting?!" Akko leaned over toward her girlfriend to get a better look. When she saw said pouty face, she sighed. "God, you're even sexy when you pout. How do you do that?" She said seductively into Diana's ear and then nibbled. The brunette could see her girlfriend shiver and feel the warmth suddenly radiating off of her now blushing face.

"I haven't a clue." Diana replied shakily while pushing Akko away from her. "I think we need to get out of here before you make me do something indecent in public again."

"Wasn't it...my turn to be the indecent one?" The brunette locked eyes with the blonde and bit her bottom lip, the other half of her mouth turned up into a mischievous smile.

Diana looked away as quickly as she could, her jaw tensed and her hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were completely white. Her eyes closed and her chest heaved with deep breaths as she willed herself to calm down.

"You're going to be the death of me, Atsuko Kagari." Diana finally mumbled, making her girlfriend giggle. "So where are we going? My place or yours?"

"Ooooh. So eager." Akko stated playfully, to which the blonde rolled her eyes and let a small smile peak through. "How about neither." When her girlfriend raised her eyebrows at her, she continued. "I know a place we could go to...hang out. Just the two of us. No surprises, no interruptions. What do you say?"

"I say yes, please."

"Yay!" Akko clapped her hands together quickly.

Other than the brunette giving directions to Diana, the drive fell into a comfortable silence. Akko played with one of the blonde's hands, tracing the indents on her palms with her finger. The narrowing road began to climb up a small...mountain? It was small for a mountain, too big for just a hill. Diana easily maneuvered the vehicle around s-curves and switchbacks as they slowly made their way to the top. Akko told her to turn before they got to the top, though. The one lane road curved back and forth, thick forest resided on both sides until suddenly they came to a grassy clearing. Diana drove slowly, noticing a makeshift parking area and stopped the car in what she felt was an appropriate spot. Akko got out immediately, taking her heels off and tossing them onto the floor of the passenger's side of the car. The blonde slowly got out and looked around before Akko grabbed her hand and led her toward the edge of the clearing. As they moved closer, Diana could start to make out the city below them. The lights gleamed in the darkness, shimmering and dancing around beneath a cloudless night sky. The sheer beauty of the sight took her breath away as they slowed to a stop. The brunette leaned her head on Diana's shoulder and hugged her arm tightly as they silently took in the picturesque view for a few more moments.

"It's amazing right?" Akko turned and set her chin on Diana's shoulder, now setting her gaze on an even more beautiful view.

The blonde didn't reply. She only turned her head and locked eyes with deep crimson. The sheer love and compassion she found in those eyes nearly brought tears to her own with the happiness that suddenly flooded her entire being.

"You're amazing, Akko. This view could never compare." She said, causing Akko to blush and smile shyly, then she hid her face in the crook of Diana's neck.

"You can't just...say things like that! How are you so good at flustering me?" The brunette's mumbles were slightly muffled by the skin on her girlfriend's neck, but Diana could hear every word clearly.

"You make it so easy." The blonde chuckled softly, drawing mindlessly on Akko's back with her fingers, with the other hand on her waist holding her close. A long moment passed before Akko spoke again.

"Will you sit with me?" She asked, lips brushing against Diana's jawline before she began placing soft kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

"O-on the grass?" The blonde gasped as Akko bit down lightly on her pale skin before leaning back to look Diana in the eyes.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" The brunette arched her eyebrow.

Diana glanced down at the ground and then at her pristine suit with a grimace. But suddenly her eyes lit up as an idea struck her.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." The blonde pulled away from Akko and turned to walk toward her car. The trunk popped open as she approached, and after grabbing something quickly and closing the trunk, Diana was back with her girlfriend in a flash, holding up the object with a proud smile.

"You drive around with a blanket in your car?" Akko asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Well, yes. It's for emergencies." The blonde replied as she began to spread the blanket out in front of where they stood.

"Oooh." The brunette nodded slowly as she watched her girlfriend finish tugging at the blanket to get out any wrinkles. "So the emergency now is that you don't want to get dirty?" She smirked at the glare she earned from the blonde at that assumption. But her gleeful smile disappeared when Diana's glare turned into mischievous grin. "W-what?" Akko stuttered as her girlfriend stood up and took painfully slow steps toward her, swinging her hips and her usual sexy manner. The brunette swallowed thickly and cleared her throat before looking down at the ground, finding a particularly interesting rock. But her reprieve didn't last long as she felt two fingers left her chin, forcing her to gaze upon those azure pools she has drowned in so many times before. But any thoughts that previously occupied her mind were swept away, along with her ability to function properly, due to what she heard next.

"Would you like me to show you just how dirty I can get?"

Now whether is was the happiness she felt, or that painfully short skirt her girlfriend wore, or the most likely proponent, the repressed sexual tension from the past few weeks, Diana knew she probably shouldn't have said that. It was so unlike her to make those kind of statements. What has this girl done to her? She had become so comfortable with her, so addicted to her touch already. They had just reunited a few hours ago and Diana had already pictured countless ways she wanted this night to end, and wondered how fast she could get Akko out of that little black dress. This girl really was, in fact, going to be the death of her. And now she looked down at her girlfriend who looked utterly shocked. Eyes wide, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. A little more teasing won't hurt.

"No?" She asked as she arched her eyebrow, attempting to keep a straight face. "Your loss then." Diana shrugged and pulled her hand away from Akko's chin before sitting down on the blanket, straightening her legs out in front of her and leaning back on her hands. Once again she looked out over the lights of the city, but after minutes of silence and lack of movement from the brunette, she turned her head and glanced at her still frozen girlfriend. She had broken Akko it seemed. Oops. "Akko, are you okay?"

"Fine!" The brunette squeaked out too quickly before clearing her throat and repeating, "I'm fine."

"Will you come and sit with me?" Diana patted the spot next to her as she asked. But when she was met with silence and nervous hesitation, the blonde grew concerned that maybe she had gone too far. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself when Akko moved toward her.

Instead of sitting next to Diana in the spot she had patted with her hand, the brunette knelt down, straddling the blonde's thighs, and sat. Her expression was inscrutable for a long moment and Akko searched Diana's eyes for something the blonde couldn't understand.

"I missed you so much, Diana." She finally stated softly with a shy, loving smile. "I felt so empty without you. And now..." She paused, chuckling quietly and gazing down at her hands. "This is like a dream, like I'll wake up at anytime and you'll still be gone."

"Akko..." Diana said as guilt washed over her. She cupped Akko's cheeks with both hands, causing the brunette to look up into her eyes again. "I assure you that this isn't a dream. I regret ever thinking that we would both be better on our own when I left. I was so wrong, and I'm so sorry for making you think that anything could be more important to me than you are." She pulled the brunette in and softly kissed her lips before pulling back. "You deserve so much better than that, and I'm going to try my best to-"

Diana was cut off by Akko's lips in another, more fervent, kiss. The blonde dropped her hands to the brunette's waste and Akko wrapped her arms around Diana's neck as their lips found a passionate rhythm for a few moments before the brunette pulled away breathing heavily and rested her forehead on her girlfriend's.

"Don't ever think you aren't enough. Because we were both to blame. But you're here with me now and that's all that matters. I love you, Diana." Akko whispered breathlessly.

"I love you more." Diana replied and smiled against her girlfriend's lips, making the brunette pull back and giggle. "So now what?"

"Hmm..." Akko hummed, feigning contemplation before flashing a brilliant smile. "I can think of a few things." The brunette pushed Diana's shoulders, making her fall back onto her back.

"Ak-" The blonde started in surprise before being cut off again by Akko's lips crashing into hers. Immediately their tongues clashed in a power struggle. The brunette shifted her weight so that one knee was resting in between Diana's thighs and slowly began to grind against the blonde's core, making Diana moan into Akko's mouth. The brunette pulled on the blonde's white shirt until it was untucked and slid her hand underneath, but before it could reach it's destination, Diana pulled her head back and took hold of Akko's hand. "Wait..." She said through labored breaths.

"What?" The brunette asked, confused, as she tried to catch her own breath.

"We can't do this here. What if somebody sees us?"

"Diana there's nobody here." Akko stated, a little frustrated at the sudden break in action.

"But...Akko!" Diana whispered loudly in surprise as her girlfriend began unbuckling her pants.

"Hmm?" The brunette replied with the most innocent expression she could manage after just unbuckling someone's pants. When the blonde just stared at her, clearly struggling internally at this point, Akko crawled up so she was looking directly down at Diana. "I owe you, remember?" She said with a smirk.

"I was teasing when I said that." The blonde said flatly.

"Not my fault. You started this..." Akko paused to lean down and trace her tongue along the shell of Diana's ear. "And I'm going to finish it."

She was met with a quiet whimper but no objection so she slid her hand down the blonde's neck, to her collarbone, past her chest and abdomen and then finally delving it's way underneath Diana's pants and underwear. The blonde immediately gasped and closed her eyes tightly. Akko began placing kisses and biting lightly at the skin on Diana's neck, causing her whimpers and moans to grow louder. Suddenly Akko was pulled into a fierce kiss to muffle what would have no doubt been a loud cry of pleasure as the blonde's body writhed and shook.

When Diana had relaxed, Akko slid her hand back up and rested it on her girlfriend's stomach before giving her one last soft kiss. She then laid down next to Diana, nuzzling her face into the crook of the blonde's neck as the blonde's arm wrapped around her. For a while they laid in silence, taking solace in each other's presence. Both girls breathing becoming normal again.

"You exhaust me, Akko." Diana finally broke the silence with a tired, raspy voice. Akko let out a snort and giggled.

"You're welcome." The brunette replied smugly, making Diana roll her eyes and chuckle softly.

"Akko?"

"Yeah?"

"When is your birthday?"

"You...don't know when my birthday is?"

"I'm sorry. I don't."

"What kind of girlfriend are you?"

"Shut up."

"Heh heh. I'm never going to let you live this down."

"I figured."

* * *

' _Knock knock knock'_

Diana put a bookmark in her book and set it aside before she stood up from her couch. Hannah and Barbara, who were sitting on the couch with her and watching their favorite TV show, looked at each other in confusion as to who could be at their door. They knew that Akko had been busy this morning, otherwise she would most likely be with Diana already. The girlfriends had spent almost every waking moment together the past few days since they reunited. They both got up and peeked their head past the wall where the door was in full view. The blonde unlocked the door and opened it.

"Sup princess."

"Hello, Amanda." Diana said with a sigh.

"Geez, try to hold your excitement in, will ya? You're the one who invited me over." Amanda replied with a grin.

"So I did. Please come in." The blonde moved to the side and allowed the redhead to cross the threshold into the apartment before shutting the door behind her.

"Amanda?!" Hannah shrieked as she spun around, now facing away from Amanda, who looked shocked at the sudden shrill sound. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming over?" She asked angrily as she disappeared into the hallway.

"Uh..." The redhead was speechless for a moment at the sudden angry exit. She looked to Diana and Barbara for answers. While the blonde looked just as clueless as Amanda, Barbara just shrugged.

"She hasn't put her makeup on yet."

"Wha..." The redhead said with furrowed eyebrows before shaking her head and turning to Diana once more. "So why did you ask me to come over?"

"Oh. Right." The blonde said nervously, her hands fidgeting in front of her. "Why don't you sit down."

Amanda narrowed her eyes, eyeing her suspiciously and she moved to the couch without a word and Diana followed.

"I wish to do something for Akko's birthday." The blonde stated, not making eye contact with the redhead.

"Oh, so you need help with birthday present ideas or something?" Amanda asked with her eyebrows raised.

"No, I have already purchased a gift for her."

"Okay..." The redhead nodded slowly and waited for Diana to continue. But when the blonde stayed silent, Amanda continued. "Do you want to take her out somewhere...or…?"

"No, it's not that."

"Look, you're going to have to give me a little more to go on here." The redhead stated, frustrated.

"I know, I just...I just don't know..." The blonde growled at herself and put her hands over her face so her next words were too muffled to be understood. "I..nt..y..to..each..e..ow..to..ve..ko..a..ap..nce."

"Um...could you try that again with your hand down? I have no idea what you just said."

"Ugh. I want you to teach me how to give Akko a lap dance!" Diana raised her voice significantly and said it so fast that Amanda almost couldn't understand what she said again. Almost…

"You...want me to do what now?" The redhead replied with her eyes wide.

"You want to do what?!" Barbara added in shock.

"WHAT?! Ow! Shit! Mascara in the eye! Oh my god it burns!" They heard Hannah shriek from her room.

The three girls in the living room grimaced at the auburn haired girl's shouts.

"Okay okay. So...this...is like the last thing I'd ever expect you to do." Amanda said, turning her attention back to Diana.

"I know! And I don't even know why I want to do it, but...I just do. Can you help me or not?" The blonde pleaded.

"Is this revenge for the lap dance she gave you when you two first met?" Amanda inquired seriously with an eyebrow raised.

"...maybe a little bit." Diana answered, her lips twitching from the smile threatening to break through.

"Great! I'll do it. Let's get started!" The redhead clapped her hands together, making the blonde jump. Amanda stood up and jogged to the kitchen, returning with two chairs.

"Wha...right now? Why is there two chairs?" Diana asked nervously.

"Well, Hannah can sit on this one," Amanda pointed at the chair in front of her. "and Barbara can sit in that one." She then pointed at the one in front of Diana.

"M-Me?" Barbara stuttered, looking at Diana in horror.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind being Diana's guinea pig would you?" Amanda raised her eyebrows at the black haired girl questioningly.

"I...okay. Yeah, just to help Diana out. Sure." Barbara slowly made her way over to the chair and gingerly sat down, clasping her hands in her lap.

Just then, Hannah walked into the room and stopped when she saw the odd set up.

"What's all of this?" She gestured toward the chairs.

"I'm teaching Diana how to give Akko a lap dance. You and Barbara are our guinea pigs." Amanda flashed a wolfish grin at Hannah.

"I see." The auburn haired girl stated, eyes flickering between the three other girls in the room. Without another word, she moved forward again and sat in the unoccupied chair.

"Okay, first of all, you need to pick a good song that'll set the mood. Do you have anything in mind?" Amanda pulled out her phone and began to go through the music she had.

"No. I don't." Diana replied as she walked over to where Amanda stood, looking over her shoulder.

"Hmm..." The redhead hummed as her thumb swiped up a few times. "Oh. This one. This one is perfect! Do you have a speaker or something?"

Diana nodded and led her over to where she could hook her phone up to the surround sound. Amanda started the song and a slow seductive melody filled the room. Nervously, the blonde took her place in front of an equally nervous Barbara. Diana mouthed 'sorry' to her friend before the redhead spoke.

"So do you...dance at all?"

"I..." Diana's eyes flickered to her two friends in the chairs before her gaze landed on Amanda again. "Only in the privacy of my own bedroom."

Hannah and Barbara's jaws dropped at the admission.

"Well, that's better than nothing. I would suggest you drink a little beforehand, that usually helps with the nerves. So do you ever feel sexy?"

"What?" The blonde squeaked, face beginning to blush.

"Confidence is key. You need to be confident that you are damn sexy."

"But I...I've never felt-" Diana stuttered but was cut off.

"But you are Diana. You are sexy. Girls, isn't she sexy?" Amanda asked, smirking at the flustered blonde.

Diana looked at the girls in the chairs who were both nodding their heads vigorously at her.

"See you're se-" The redhead started.

"I get it, thank you." Diana said through grit teeth. "Be confident that I'm se….you know what, just...just keep going. What's next?" She asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Ooookay. So the most basic move, and a move that you will use the most, is just..." Amanda paused and straddled Hannah's lap and begin to grind. "Is just grinding your body against hers. Go ahead, try it out." She pointed to Barbara.

Diana and Barbara locked eyes and both visibly swallowed before the blonde took a deep breath and climbed onto the black haired girl's lap and put her hands on her shoulders. Diana looked up and away as she began to grind her body awkwardly against Barbara's.

"You're too stiff! Loosen up! Barbara, grab her hips and lead her. That's what Akko will do." Amanda advised as she climbed off Hannah, to the auburn haired girl's disappointment.

A fiercely blushing Barbara reached her hands out and put them on Diana's hips and closed her eyes.

"Oh god. Stop. Just stop." Amanda rubbed her tired eyes at the awkward sight and then held her chin in contemplation. "This is going to be harder than I thought it would be. Time to bring in reinforcements." The redhead walked into the kitchen and began checking the cabinets. "Where's your alcohol?"

"Amanda, it's ten o'clock in the morning." Diana looked at Amanda like she had completely lost it.

"So? What's your point?" Amanda shouted back without looking at the girls. "Oh, bingo! Nice, you got the good stuff!" She set two large half full liquor bottles on the kitchen table along with four shot glasses. "Alright, who's ready for a shot?!"

 _ **One hour later…**_

"Ahahaha...you..." Amanda snorted before continuing. "you...made her faint! Holy shit!"

"Amanda, this is no time...not the time." Diana drunkenly tried to chastise the redhead. "Hey, Barb, wake up." The blonde shook her a little more aggressively than she had intended and the black haired girl begin to slide out of the chair. "Oh shit!" The blonde shouted as she quickly hooked her arms underneath her falling friend while the two other girls in the room were doubled over laughing. "A little help here, please!"

"Oh, right." Hannah and Amanda wobbled over and take a place on either side of Barbara. "We should probably put her on the couch." Hannah said as she lifted.

"Yeah, good idea." Amanda replied as she lifted out of sync with the other two.

"Look, we need to lift at the same time." Diana said as she tried to lift once more out of sync. "Okay okay. So, I'm going to count to three. And then we lift."

"Do we lift on three or after three?" Hannah asked.

"On three."

"After three."

Amanda and Diana spoke at the same time.

"After three."

"On three."

They spoke again, only opposite.

"God this really shouldn't be that hard." Hannah sighed.

"On three. We lift on three." Diana finally made the executive decision. "One, two, three!"

They successfully picked Barbara up out of the chair and dragged her over to the couch, but misjudging the proximity, the back of Diana's leg hit the edge of the couch forcing her to fall over backward onto the couch, with Barbara crashing down on top of her.

"Oh shit, Diana! Are you okay?" Amanda shouted.

"I...yeah. The breath….knocked...I can't breath..."

The fall or the shouting awakened Barbara and she began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed the blonde hair in her blurry vision. She raised her head up a little farther and realized she was currently laying on someone. 'What is my hand holding onto? It's squishy.' She thought as she gave it a few squeezes. Her gaze traveled up farther to familiar blue eyes, and then it hit her like a dump truck. She was laying on top of Diana, and she was, indeed, squeezing her very good friend's breast.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Barbara screamed, making Diana scream as well until they both just stared at each other in drunken horror.

"You guys got any more booze? You're out." Amanda asked as she held up two empty liquor bottles.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 _Not Playing Nicely_

Four girls sat in awkward silence on the couches in Diana, Hannah and Barbara's apartment. Amanda had been nervously tapping her fingers on the arm of the love seat for the past ten minutes and studied the actions of the other three girls in the room. After the...incident, it was not surprising to see Diana and Barbara avoiding eye contact at all costs. The blonde's tactics were effective as she leaned over with her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her thighs and letting out a groan every once in a while. Barbara on the other hand, sat on the other end of the couch from Diana and had her knees pulled up against her chest and hugged them tightly. And every once in a while, her eyes would flicker to the blonde and then back to the floor in front of her. Hannah just looked bored to be honest. She was filing her nails next to Amanda, not seeming to notice or care about the tension. But the redhead didn't like silence. None of them had spoken since Diana and Barbara had managed to disentangle themselves from each other. Amanda knew she should keep her mouth shut. But she just couldn't handle the silence anymore. She just needed to say something. Anything.

"So, that was...uh...a thing, huh?" 'Smooth O'Neill' she internally smacked her forehead.

Diana's head shot up and sent a deadly glare in the redhead's direction. If looks could kill, Amanda would be dead ten times over. Hannah snorted and then immediately brought her hand up and covered her mouth in embarrassment. Apparently the effects of the alcohol had not quite subsided yet. The blonde then covered her face and groaned again, but to everyone's surprise, she finally spoke.

"Was it really..." _hiccup_ "that bad?" Her words were slightly muffled in her hands.

"Well..." Amanda's gaze landed on Barbara who now had her forehead resting on her knees in an effort to hide her blush. "Nah. If anything it might have been...a little...too good?" This caught the blonde's attention as she lifted her head and arched an eyebrow at the redhead, who in turn jerked her head in Barbara's direction. Diana turned her head and for the first time, noticed her distressed friend. "Look, Diana. Why are you doing this, _really?_ It can't be all about revenge. This is so not like you." Amanda inquired suspiciously. It had been an entertaining morning, but it was so out of character for Diana that there had to be something else on her mind.

"Akko is so..." The blonde paused, swaying a bit as she contemplated her next words with narrowed eyes. "Fun. And carefree. And I envy that. I want to be that way with her. I've spent too long being the good girl, the prim and proper heiress that did no wrong. I missed out on so much because of that. And Akko reminded me that I still have a lot of life to live. I want to be...normal. You know?"

Her words were soft, her wistful smile small, and if Amanda didn't know any better, she was acting shy? Vastly different than the cold and distant person Diana used to be. It had taken the redhead this long to notice just how much Diana had changed since she met Akko. But Amanda was almost sure that the alcohol was aiding in this sudden confession of the need to rebel against the expectations thrust upon her. And the redhead wasn't sure how far she should take this conversation, she actually wasn't sure what to say at all. Amanda O'Neill didn't do feelings well. She had had a lifetime share of the feelings in the distressing past couple weeks, and now here she was, staring blankly at Diana Cavendish who looked back at her expectantly. Until the blonde's features turned unsure and doubting.

"You know what? This was stupid. I shouldn't have..." Diana sighed and stood up, stumbling a bit before catching herself on the arm of the couch. "Thank you for trying Amanda but I...I can't do this." She turned and began walking toward her room.

"Wait!" Amanda shouted, finally snapping herself out of her thoughts. "No, I get it! This isn't stupid Diana. If this is what you think you need, the-"

"Just drop it O'Neill." The blonde cut the redhead off tiredly. "You were right. This isn't me." She turned again and made it to the hallway before stopping once more and clearing her throat. "This morning never needs to be spoken of again." Diana spoke with a tone of ice and finality before she disappeared down the hallway, and a second later the sound of a door closing rang out around the silent apartment.

"Is she always so emotional when she's drunk?" Amanda turned to Hannah, exasperated.

"It's the vodka." The auburn haired girl just shrugged. "We usually try to keep it away from her. She gets a little crazy. Although..." She paused, expression thoughtful. "She didn't make anyone cry this time so I guess it's an improvement?"

"That was one time!" Barbara finally broke her silence, lifting her head up from her knees. "And we're not supposed to talk about that."

"Okay, wait." Amanda held her hands up, putting a stop to the conversation. "How many instances has she asked you not to talk about?" She arched her eyebrow at Hannah, but before the girl could speak she shook her head. "You know what? Never mind, I don't want to know. Look, we have to talk about this morning."

"No, we don't." Barbara said as she leaned back in the cushions and began to blush again.

"Oh but we do. Is it weird to either of you how good Diana is at lap dances? Or is it also normal for vodka to turn her into a stripper?"

"Amanda, you told her to take her shirt off." Hannah deadpanned.

"Wha…? She said she was hot! How was I supposed to know there wasn't a shirt under that flannel?" Amanda spat back indignantly, scooting herself to the edge of the couch. That's when she noticed the black haired girls blush deepen and she was able to make the connection as to why Barbara suddenly fainted during the lesson. "Oh."

"W-what?" The black haired girl shifted nervously under Amanda's knowing stare.

"I thought you were straight." The redhead stated with her eyebrows raised. Maybe Akko's mom was right. Her gaydar isn't working well.

"How...I d-don't..." Barbara sputtered out, glancing pleadingly at Hannah to help her out of this painfully awkward situation.

"Not that it matters, Amanda..." The auburn girl paused to flash a warning glare at Amanda before continuing. "But Barbara is bisexual. And she, well, we have both had small crushes on Diana but obviously nothing would have ever come of it, she's our best friend after all. So if you could imagine, it was quite a shocking situation for Barbara to be in when Diana started taking her shirt off while sitting on her lap. Now, can we please move on?"

Hannah glanced at Barbara to make sure she had explained it right, and the appreciative smile she received told her that she had. Amanda just nodded slowly, taking in all of this new information. The three girls stayed silent for a long time, not knowing how to continue this conversation.

"Okay, all of this aside, we can't just let Diana not do this now. Not after what she told us." Amanda said determinedly.

"Amanda, she was drunk." Barbara said, her tone soft and regretful.

"Hey, people lose their filter when they're drunk. Miss goody two shoes wants to break out of her shell, and as her...friends, I think we need to nudge her in the right direction."

"This is absurd. What are we going to do? Force her down on Akko's lap?" Hannah pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Well..." Amanda arched an eyebrow.

"We cannot force her down on Akko's lap, Amanda!" Hannah half shouted in disbelief.

"Okay okay. Sheesh. But there has to be someth-"

Amanda was cut off by a knock on the apartment door. The three girls made no move to get up however. The knocking came again and the redhead looked to the others.

"You gonna get that?"

"Amanda, I'm drunk at 11:30 in the morning. I'm not answering the door right now." Hannah rolled her eyes and went back to filing her nails and Barbara silently nodded in agreement.

The sound of a door opening made the three girls turn to the hallway where Diana appeared a few seconds later in a robe, looking as if she had just gotten out of the shower.

"Aye, you got anything on under that robe, Cavendish?" Amanda catcalled to her as she was on her way to the door.

"Oh. You're still here. Don't you have someone else to annoy, O'Neill?" The blonde asked with a sigh as she passed, missing the redheads smirk and Hannah's sharp elbow jabbing into said girl's ribs.

Diana approached the door and looked through the peephole to see who was on the other side. All she saw was a crimson eye looking back at her, making her giggle.

"This girl." She mumbled under her breath and smiled mischievously as she grabbed the door handle and swiftly pulled it toward herself.

Akko, who had been leaning on the other side of the door, didn't have time to regain her balance. And with the loss of something to lean on, she fell forward onto the floor in front of Diana.

"You do know that the peephole only works from the inside right?" The blonde chuckled as she watched her girlfriend scramble to her feet and clear her throat.

"I know how they work." Akko grumbled as she crossed her arms in a pout.

Diana smiled fondly at her girlfriend's adorable antics and stepping closer, she reached out to move a stray lock of hair behind the brunette's ear, fingertips lightly brushing across her cheek. Akko looked up into the blonde's loving azure eyes and couldn't help but lean into the touch.

"Hey." The brunette flashed a lopsided smile as she wrapped her arms around Diana's neck, pulling the blonde close.

"Hey yourself." Diana said seductively before she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist and leaned in to capture Akko's lips in a soft kiss.

After just a moment, the brunette pulled back and began to plant kisses along the blonde's jawline and down her neck.

"A-Akko, what...ah!" Diana let out a surprised yelp as Akko's teeth lightly scraped across the pale skin of her neck.

"We can hear you ya know!"

The brunette froze with her eyes wide at the loud brash voice coming from the next room before slowly looking up at her flustered girlfriend.

"Why is Amanda here?" She whispered quietly. "And why do you taste like vodka?"

"Ah...yes, Akko. All great questions. But I must really get some clothes on." Diana flashed an apologetic smile as she turned and walked away.

"But..." The confused brunette began but stopped as she watched her girlfriend walk quickly to her room. She hesitantly walked further into the apartment until she could see the kitchen table and noticed the two empty liquor bottles and four shot glasses scattered haphazardly on the table top. With her eyebrows furrowed she continued into the main living area where she saw the owner of the loud voice and the other two girls sprawled out on the couches.

"Sup Akko." Amanda flashed a wide grin.

Akko could tell that the grin was forced and it did nothing to quail the brunette's growing suspicions that there was a lot she was missing. Next to the redhead was Hannah, who hadn't acknowledged her presence, and Barbara laid on the other couch. The black haired girl immediately fished her phone out of her pocket and pretended to be immersed in whatever it was that she was reading to avoid eye contact with the brunette.

"What's going on?" Akko asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at her red headed friend.

Amanda's grin never faltered but the brunette could almost hear the gears turning in the redhead's head, obviously thinking of any excuse for the odd circumstances and behavior that Akko had walked in on.

"We're just hangin out."

The slightly higher pitch of Amanda's voice told Akko everything she needed to know. They were keeping something from her and she was going to find out what it was. Although it was unlikely that she could get anything out of Amanda without the use of physical force, and she didn't want to start a wrestling match in Diana's apartment. She didn't know Hannah or Barbara well enough to get any information out of them either, and by the way they were avoiding her, they weren't just going to give it up if she simply asked. But there was one person here who she had a shot of breaking, and she would have fun with it, too. If the blonde didn't want to tell her what she wanted to know, she could start with her ear. Yeah, the way Diana melted when she nibbled on her ear was so...

"Why are you smiling at me like that? You're making me nervous."

"Huh?" Akko was jarred out of her thoughts by Amanda, who was nervously shifting on the couch under her stare. "Oh, sorry. Just uh...I'm gonna...heh" The brunette pointed toward the hallway with a nervous laugh and walked away quickly without another word.

"Diana's fucked." Amanda said with a menacing chuckle.

"...Excuse me?" Hannah abruptly stopped her nervous nail filing at the sudden vulgar language coming from the person next to her.

"I've seen that smile before. She's scheming, and it never ends well for the person on the other end."

"Should we stop it? Akko can't find out what happened this morning." The auburn haired girl looked at the hallway where Akko disappeared in concern.

"Nah, Diana can handle it. But I think it's best we get out of here." Amanda grabbed Hannah's hand and pulled her up off of the couch.

"Excuse me, I live here." The auburn haired girl pulled her hand away from the redhead and scowled. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay." Amanda put her hands out in front of her in surrender. "I guess you can stay here and listen those two go at it. And I don't mean fighting, honey." The redhead winks and turns around to head for the door.

Hannah face slowly turned to one of terrifying realization at Amanda's words. She cleared her throat and grabbed Barbara, pulling her up off of the couch frantically. By the surprised look on her face, the black haired girl hadn't been listening to their conversation.

"Hey, what-"

"Come on Barb, I can't have you fainting twice in one day." Hannah mumbled as she dragged Barbara toward where Amanda was waiting with a smirk by the door.

"But where are we going?" Barbara asked as she slipped her shoes on.

"I'm taking you girls out on a date." Amanda winked at the black haired girl, making her blush furiously.

"Calm your tits, red." Hannah grumbled and rolled her eyes. "We're just giving Diana and Akko some-"

"Ah! Did you really just bite me?!"

The three girl's eyes widened in shock at the words they heard coming from Diana's bedroom.

"Okay, quickly then." Amanda opened the door and practically shoved the other two out before they were subjected to anymore erotic noises coming from their friends.

* * *

"Well you're not telling me what you guys were doing before I got here." Akko narrowed her eyes at the girl underneath her on the bed.

"So you bit me." Diana deadpanned, looking up at her captor.

"I don't intend to play nice until you tell me." The brunette smirked down at her girlfriend.

Diana's mouth twitched slightly, narrowing her own eyes a bit as she positioned her elbows underneath her. She was now only a few inches away from Akko's unflinching face, entering a battle of wills with the girl.

"You promise you won't play nice, Akko?" The blonde almost whispered as she brushed the brunette's lips with her own, causing Akko's breath to hitch.

"Y-you can't...just...t-that's not fair." The brunette sputtered out as she sat straight up, now sitting on Diana's thighs and shaking her head in an attempt to get her brain working again.

With a low chuckle, Diana sat up as well and wrapped her arms around Akko's waist to pull her closer.

"I'm supposed to be...mmmm..." The brunette started but was successfully quieted by her girlfriend's tongue running along the shell of her ear. "in...charge...here." She finished through shallow breaths.

"By all means, continue your interrogation." Diana mumbled as she began to place kisses down Akko's neck.

"W-what happened th- Ah!" The brunette began to ask but before she could, the blonde bit down on Akko's neck and then used her tongue to sooth the spot she'd attacked.

"What was that, Akko?" Diana asked as innocently as she possibly could.

"Iaskedyouwhatyoudidth- gah!" Again Akko was immediately quieted by a teeth digging lightly into the skin of her shoulder. And on top of that, Diana had brought her hand up underneath the brunette's shirt and firmly squeezed her breast, making Akko arch her back and push herself into the touch. She then pushed herself up and off of her girlfriend as fast as she could and stood up. After taking a few deep breaths she was calm enough to continue and pointed her finger out accusingly. "No. No distractions. I want to know...what...what..."

Diana was leaning back on her elbows now, her robe only halfway on and revealing a painful amount of pale skin. She arched her eyebrow at Akko who was eyeing her bear skin hungrily, her words all but forgotten. The blonde pushed herself up and slid off of the bed.

"If that's all, Akko, I need to get ready and pack for my flight tonight." Diana taunted as she passed.

Akko turned and watched the blonde head toward the bathroom, not able to form any words. And to make growing heat in her core worse, Diana took off her robe as she walked and held it out to the side, dropping it into a heap on the floor. The brunette's jaw dropped as far as it possibly could as she watched her girlfriend, no, her naked girlfriend enter the bathroom and close the door. She then slapped her forehead loudly and groaned as she flopped down onto Diana's bed, face landing gracelessly into the fluffy pillow. For a few blissful minutes she had forgotten that her girlfriend would be leaving for two days, a business trip to Germany. This will be the norm of course, and Akko didn't have a problem with it. But they had just reunited a few days ago, and she didn't want Diana to leave so soon. She did say that she'd be back in time for Akko's birthday party, though. That's all that really mattered.

"Only two days." She mumbled into the pillow. "It's only two days." The brunette then turned over and laid on her back. "I should have ripped that damn robe off of her."

"Yes, you should have."

Akko jumped and sat up immediately, seeing Diana standing in the doorway to the bathroom with a very amused expression, unfortunately fully clothed now.

"But alas, you've missed your chance. And here I thought you were going to make good on not playing nice." The blonde smirked, smugly arching her brow and crossing her arms.

"I...I was. But you...distracted me." Akko mumbled, not meeting Diana's amused gaze.

The blonde sauntered over to the bed and leaned over, grasping the brunette's chin with her hand and forced her to look up.

"I'll be back on your birthday, I promise you'll get a chance to redeem yourself." Diana leaned down and kissed Akko softly before pulling back and looking lovingly into beautiful crimson eyes. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

* * *

"Croix! I'm home!" Chariot yelled out as she walked through the front door of her home. It had been a terribly stressful day for her. Ever since she had revealed who she really was, since Chariot had returned to the world, she had been contacted nonstop for interviews. Along with a meeting with the director of athletics for the school about the upcoming trip to France that weekend for the team's next tournament game. She threw her backpack down still lost in thought until she smelled it. Smoke. And a voice that was no doubt yelling curses in Italian. 'Oh god. She tried to cook.' Chariot thought as she ran toward the smoky kitchen. As she entered she had to wave her hand in front of her face to keep the smoke from her eyes.

"Croix! What are doing?" Chariot shouted before coughing and waving her hand again.

"Ah!" Croix yelled as she spun around in surprise. "Oh...uh...Chariot. I was just….MERDA!" The Italian hissed as she had picked up a very hot pan with her bare hand while she had been distracted. A pan of burnt, whatever it was, fell to the floor and made a loud harsh noise that left a ringing sound in Chariot's ears. And then there was silence. The two woman looked at each other with wide eyes through the smoke until Chariot put her hand to her mouth and snorted loudly before she doubled over in laughter.

"I was attempting to make dinner for you but it...got out of hand quickly." Croix informed her, embarrassment written all over the woman's face.

"Why?" Chariot laughed again and then stopped almost immediately when she had a thought. "Croix, what did you do?"

"What?" Croix's voice raised an octave. "I didn't do anything! I just...uh...thought it'd be a nice thing...to do?"

"You didn't set fire to the basement again did you?"

"No! I mean, I did, but the extinguisher you got me did it's job perfectly."

"You...when did that happen?!"

"That's not important." Croix laughed nervously as she moved to push Chariot out of the kitchen. "Just...why don't you just relax and I'll make us something else." The Italian all but pushed Chariot onto the couch and retreated back into the smoky kitchen.

Chariot let out a long sigh and grabbed her backpack, pulling out papers she had accumulated that day to go over. She nervously glanced at the kitchen every couple minutes to make sure that their house was going to be safe from a fire that surprisingly hadn't started yet. Minutes later, Croix came in and bowed.

"Dinner is served, madame."

Chariot giggled and rolled her eyes as she stood up from the couch and joined her girlfriend. Croix led her out onto their little patio on the side of their house. The red haired woman gasped when she saw their small round table decorated with candles, wine glasses and their nicest dishes. Which weren't very nice at all if she was being honest. But it was a beautiful sight, almost bringing tears to Chariots eyes. Almost. Because that's when she saw what was sitting on top of the plates where real food was meant to be.

"Ramen. We're eating instant ramen for dinner." Chariot said flatly. She should have expected it, yet she didn't think her girlfriend really had the guts to ever feed her this monstrosity for dinner.

"And bread." Croix stated as if it made things better.

Remembering all of the effort her girlfriend must have gone through for this dinner, well, the dinner that never was, made Chariot play along. She didn't have the heart to turn down the hopeful smile on the Italian's face at the moment.

"Okay. Let's eat then." The red haired woman kissed Croix on the cheek and sat down, making sure to pour herself a large glass of wine. She was going to need it.

They both dug into their ramen, one more enthusiastically than the other, and soon they were finished. Chariot took a piece of bread and spread some butter on it before Croix broke the comfortable silence between them.

"So do you feel any better about returning to France this weekend, Chariot?"

Chariot tensed at the words and took her time chewing to delay the answer to that inevitable question. She had done her best to seem okay about going back to her home country that seemed to turn on her so easily all those years ago. Croix obviously saw right through her defenses like she always did. And the information she had gathered today from the meeting about the coming weekend only made the situation worse.

"No, I don't feel any better. In fact, I feel worse about it after what I learned today." She hadn't meant to blurt all that out but it seemed that her emotions were building up and finally overflowed. Croix, who was about to take a bite of her bread, immediately put her food down and raised her eyebrows, urging the red haired woman to continue. "The France team acquired a new coach. Gabriel Moreau."

"What?! That bitch who started those rumors about you?" Croix spat, seething.

"Croix, don't." Chariot rubbed her forehead tiredly. "We don't know that."

"She...she ruined your life because she was jealous, Chariot. She wasn't caught but everyone knows it was her." The Italian stated harshly. But her expression softened when she saw how tired and stressed Chariot looked across the table from her. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."

"It's fine. I knew this was coming if we won the first game, but now that it's actually happening...I'm just a little anxious is all." Chariot said with a sigh and she took another sip of her wine.

Croix nodded slowly as she took in her girlfriend's crestfallen features. She believed this night was ruined because of her mishap in the kitchen earlier, but it seemed like Chariot needed this. Chariot needs her right now. She needs to finish tonight like she had planned. Ramen be damned. The Italian quickly pulled out her phone and connected it to the large wireless speaker she had brought out earlier. She scrolled through the music until she found her favorite song. The song that made Chariot's eyes roll every time she played it, but always put that beautiful brilliant smile on her face. Croix would do anything for that smile. She pushed play and stood up. Suddenly the air filled with a soft catchy jazz tune and Chariot recognized it immediately. She did role her eyes as she looked up at Croix who was holding a hand out to her, silently asking her to dance. And to the Italian woman's delight, her girlfriend's brilliant smile did appear as she stood up.

"What's with you and Sinatra?" Chariot asked, chuckling, as she took Croix's hand and put the other hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. The Italian only grinned wide and began to move to the beat and sang along when the verse started.

"Someday, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you." Croix moved them into a slow spin as she sang the last line, making Chariot giggle, and then pulled her in close. "And the way you look tonight."

They continued that way as the song went on, The redhead relaxing more with every passing moment. Soon Croix stopped singing and just enjoyed the carefree dance with her girlfriend.

 _Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm_

 _And your cheeks so soft_

 _There is nothing for me but to love you_

 _And the way you look tonight_

Chariot's sweet laughter filled the patio area as Croix spun her around at random points of the song. But then the Italian slowed, electing to take in her girlfriend's beautiful features than keep up with the beat. Her teal eyes met Chariots sparkling red ones as they swayed out of time with the song, the music seeming to fade as all they could focus on was one another now. Croix leaned in and softly pressed her lips to the redhead's, who reciprocated immediately. The lilac haired woman pulled back and rested her forehead on Chariot's.

"Je t'aime pour toujours." Croix cooed, making the redhead pull back and look at her with raised eyebrows.

"Je t'aime aussi." Chariot replied as she flashed a bright smile. "Since when do you know French?"

"I've been working on it here and there." The Italian shrugged but couldn't hide her proud grin before turning serious again. "I've been working on it for tonight actually."

Chariot furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head questioningly. Croix took a deep breath and looked her girlfriend in the eyes before continuing.

"Veux-tu me faire l'honneur d'être ma femme?" She asked confidently.

Chariot stepped back and covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes as wide as they could possibly get. Croix pulled out a small black box out of her pocket and stepped forward before getting down on one knee.

"I love you more than anything in this world. And there's nothing I want more than to be yours for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me, Chariot?"

The redhead didn't move for a moment, the only change to her expression was the tears building up in the corners of her eyes, until she nodded slowly.

"Yes?" Croix voice cracked slightly as she asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes!" Chariot gasped as she threw her arms around Croix's neck, knocking the woman over onto the cement below and landing on top of her. "Oh, I'm sorry." The redhead said through a mixture of tears and laughter before she pushed herself up until she was kneeling. She helped Croix up as well.

"Let me see your hand." The Italian held out her own hand as Chariot reached out. "Your other hand." Croix rolled her eyes as her girlfriend let out a giggle and switched hands. The lilac haired woman took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her fiance's ring finger and then she leaned down and kissed it.

"I love you so much, Croix." Chariot said softly, gazing lovingly into Croix's teal eyes.

"I would hope so. Because you just agreed to marry me." The Italian smirked, earning a shove backward from the fiery redhead.

"Of course you'd say that." Chariot laughed in disbelief and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Croix asked and snickered as she pushed herself to follow her fiance.

"To get some real food. Please never feed me instant ramen again or I will divorce you."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello everyone! Just wanted to give y'all a heads up that there won't be an update next week. I'm going on one last outdoor adventure before it starts snowing, so I'll be gone for five days. Yay!**

 **But I just wanted to thank everyone for all your amazing support throughout my crazy first fanfic! I've had so much fun writing it and I hope y'all have had fun reading it as well!**

 **This chapter is absolutely crazy. Don't take it too seriously. Lol**

 **Enjoy! And I'll see you back here in two weeks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

 _Akko's Birthday_

"So where are we going now?" Akko asked excitedly as she bounced up and down in the passenger seat of Amanda's car, and then stuffing yet another chocolate into her mouth from a box that she had received as a present from her red haired friend.

After an early morning practice on Akko's birthday, her housemates had taken her out for breakfast. And afterward, Amanda, Sucy and Lotte had taken her to her favorite sweets shop and each bought her something of her choice. They had never known anyone besides Akko who would be perfectly content if they only received gifts of chocolate and candy for their birthday, but they would have to admit that the brunette's simplicity was part of why they all adored her. She was the farthest from high maintenance that anyone could possibly get. Which only furthered her friend's confusion of how Akko ended up with Diana of all people. Opposites attract, apparently.

"Yeah, where are we going? I've had enough excitement for one day already." Sucy deadpanned from the backseat, making Lotte giggle beside her.

"Just one more stop, Sucy." Amanda replied as she turned the car onto a narrow back road leading to a not so favorable part of town. "I have have one more present for you, Akko." The redhead smiled mischievously at the brunette sitting next to her, causing the girl's eyes to widen significantly as she paused chewing on whatever sweet she had previously shoved into her mouth.

They drove for only a few minutes longer before the car slowed and Amanda turned into a small parking lot in front of a small shop. Akko suspiciously eyed the building, noticing the darkened windows, no doubt aiming to hide whatever items that were for sale inside.

"Blue Bunny Boutique?" The brunette glanced at the redhead with her eyebrow arched. "What kind of store is this?"

"Amanda! You brought her HERE for a birthday gift?" Lotte asked, horrified.

"But what is this place?" Akko turned to Lotte now for some answers, but the girl only laughed nervously as she glanced at the shop they were now parked in front of.

"Kehehe. I can't wait to see her face." Sucy now wore a wide evil grin that made the brunette shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"But-"

"Okay, come on birthday girl!" Amanda cut Akko off as she opened her door and got out quickly. The girls in the back seat followed leaving a confused brunette alone in the car.

Akko swallowed nervously as she again looked at the mysterious building in front of her. It couldn't be that bad right? If Amanda had thought it'd make a good birthday present, there had to be something that Akko would enjoy in there. Right? The more rational part of the brunette's brain forced her to get over her nervousness and place her trust in her friends. So she opened the door and slowly got out of the car, and within seconds she was standing with her friends in front of the darkened glass doors leading into the shop.

Amanda opened the door for Akko and both Sucy and Lotte gestured for her to go in first as well, so she took a deep breath and entered. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the store, but when they did, she was left standing there in confusion. The brunette's eyes glanced over the many rows of lingerie and costumes. To her right was a station she recognized as small area where piercings were done along with a large jewelry counter. To her left was a separate room, the door leading into it covered with strings of beads. Akko narrowed her eyes and took another long look over the vast area before turning to Amanda.

"So you're...gonna buy me lingerie?" The brunette asked with her eyebrows raised.

"What? No! Of course not you weirdo." Amanda replied in disbelief as she took a step back.

"I'm the weirdo? You brought me to...this place for a gift!" Akko gestured wildly to the large area in front of them before continuing. "What else was I supposed to think?"

"Akko! Just calm down." The redhead pleaded as she looked around and flashed apologetic smiles toward the few people who had turned to the sound of Akko's raised voice. "Unless, you wanted to find some lingerie that would fry the princess's brain." Amanda smirked as the brunette actually considered the idea before shaking her head.

"Well if you didn't bring me here for lingerie, what did you bring me here for?" The brunette's voice was now at an acceptable volume, and she seemed utterly confused once more.

"Ah yes, back on track." Amanda nodded as she threw an arm around Akko's shoulders and began leading her toward the doorway covered by the ridiculous strings of beads. "Let me enlighten you."

They approached the doorway and the redhead pulled the hesitant brunette past the beads until they were fully inside the mystery room.

"Tadaaa!" Amanda sang, spreading one arm out wide and holding Akko firmly with the other as to not allow the brunette to run away.

"Gah!" Akko gasped loudly and brought her balled fists up to her chest as she realized what items were covering the walls and various shelves. "Sex toys?" She squeaked out loudly and tried backing away, only to be held in place by her red haired friend. "What the hell, Amanda?!"

"Oh come on, Akko. Now that you and Cavendish are doing...the do, I figured my best friend could use a little adventure. Everyone could use a little adventure in their sex lives. Am I right?" Amanda turned and winked knowingly at the other girls who stared back at her in shock. Akko didn't miss the look the redhead gave her friends and turned to look at the embarrassed girls as well.

"You...you guys use this stuff?" The brunette asked in shock. "Lotte? You?"

"Well…?" Lotte began wringing her hands nervously in front of herself and looked to Sucy, who was looking anywhere but at the girls in front of her.

"You and...Sucy? You're…?" Akko's jaw dropped and a light bulb all but appeared over her head.

"Took you long enough, Kagari." Amanda snickered at the utter shock on the brunette's face. "These two have been going at it fo-"

"I think she gets it, O'Neill." Sucy spat out venomously, successfully cutting the redhead off.

"Everyone just...calm down, okay?" Lotte stepped in front of Sucy with her hands held up, attempting to defuse the situation before turning to the brunette. "Akko. Sucy and I are a couple." She stated shyly.

"Oh." Akko nodded slowly for a moment before she flashed a brilliant smile. "That's really great you guys! Congratulations."

"Thank you, Akko." Lotte breathed out in relief.

"But why didn't you tell me?" The brunette furrowed her brows.

"W-well, we were...um...we haven't been together for that long. We just..." The orange haired girl trailed off, looking to her girlfriend for help, who in turn looked at her with a raised eyebrow and boredly turned to Akko.

"We had a lot of sex before we made it official." Sucy said, shrugging.

"Sucy!" Lotte squeaked as she covered her face in horror.

"What?" The purple haired girl droned.

"Oookay, let's get this train back on the rails, shall we?" Amanda grabbed Akko's shoulders and turned her attention back to the room. "Why don't you look around around, Akko. I'm sure you can find something you'd like to try with Diana."

Akko said nothing as she swallowed thickly and nodded before she slowly made her way to one of the walls covered in shelves.

"Amanda, this was a terrible idea." Lotte whispered in concern to the girl next to her.

"Come on, every self respecting lesbian needs sex toys. It's like...the law or something." The redhead whispered back.

"But they haven't been together for that long. You don't think this will freak Cavendish out?" Sucy raised her one eyebrow as she watched Akko pick up a long dildo and jiggled it in front of herself before putting it back with a disgusted look on her face, causing her three friends to silently shake with laughter.

"I'll bet money that the princess owns at least one toy." Amanda said in amusement.

"You think so?" Lotte asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Hey, do you think Diana is a top or bottom?" Sucy asked curiously, tilting her head as she watched Akko now poking something that resembled a...butt? The purple haired girl rolled her eye and turned fully to face her friends.

"Bottom." Amanda said.

"Top." Lotte said at the same time.

The two girls turned to each other with their eyebrows raised.

"How could you think she's a bottom? She's clearly the dominant type." The orange haired girl looked incredulously at the redhead.

"I don't think so. She possesses a lot of power with everything else, I'll bet she like's to be controlled in bed though." Amanda brought her hand up to rub her chin. "Sucy, what do you think?

"I think she's a switch. I think it depends on what Akko-"

"Hey guys!" Akko's voice rang out from the other side of the room, making all three girls turn to look at her. They all smacked their foreheads immediately when they took in the sight. Akko wore a strap on and swung the appendage back and forth as she laughed so hard she was beginning crying.

"I take that back. I really hope Diana's a top for her own sake." Sucy shook her head in exasperation at the brunette's antics while the other two girls nodded in silent agreement with their purple haired friend.

"We should probably help her if we want to get out of here anytime soon." Amanda chuckled as she moved toward Akko who was now struggling with the straps and mumbling obscenities. Lotte and Sucy sighed and followed after the redhead.

A short while later, Amanda huffed as she opened her car door and got inside angrily before slamming it shut. A snickering Lotte and Sucy were the next to get in, and an utterly embarrassed brunette was the last to silently enter the vehicle. The redhead started her car up quickly and screeched out of the parking spot.

"I said I was sorry." Akko finally said shamefully after a few minutes of silence.

"You're sorry? You got us kicked out!" Amanda half shouted.

"Well in my defense, I think they were overreacting a little bit." The brunette huffed and crossed her arms in a pout.

"You were sword fighting with a sex toy! Who even...I just...how can you..." The redhead trailed off in disbelief at the situation that had just occurred.

"Well why in the hell were they so long? Why would someone even buy something like that?!" Akko shouted back and threw her hands in the air, causing another bout of snickering from the back seat.

"Its not...ugh. Akko it was for two..." Amanda paused with a long sigh. "You know what, never mind. This was a terrible idea."

"Told you so." Lotte chimed in from behind the redhead.

"No comments from the peanut gallery." Amanda grumbled and glared into the rear view mirror.

"Amanda, why would taking me there even cross your mind?" Akko asked curiously.

"Well the way you and Diana go at it like horny rabbits every time you see each other I just figured you would appreciate a li-"

"What do you mean? We haven't done anything since Friday night!"

"Seriously? Why?" Amanda asked with an arched brow.

"Because we just...haven't. I don't know. We were just so happy to be together that we didn't even think about it. We can be together and not have sex." Akko grumbled quietly.

"So what your saying is that Diana's going to come back from Germany a thirsty mess and she's going to bo-"

"I didn't say that at all!" Akko shouted, her face was quickly being overtaken by a blush.

"Sooo what you're saying is that _you_ will be a thirsty mess when she gets back and you're gone to bo-"

"Stooooop." The brunette whined as she rubbed her forehead in annoyance.

"But...it's true isn't it?"

"...yes."

* * *

Diana sat at the bar of the airport VIP lounge staring out into the storm through the large glass walls to her right. She looked at her watch and groaned for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour after hearing the announcement that her flight was once again delayed. She jumped at the loud thunder that shook the world around her before sighing and taking another sip of the drink in front of her. She should have been home right now and getting ready for her girlfriend's party, which she was now going to be late to, if she made it there at all, that is.

"Something on your mind?"

Diana jumped again at the voice coming from close behind her. She turned her head to the figure who was now settling into the seat beside her.

"Oh! Hello, Anna. I didn't expect to see you again before we left." The blonde straightened up at the presence of her colleague, emulating the proper lady that she was meant to be.

"And I didn't expect to find you here, of all places." Anna chuckled and put her hand up to get the bartender's attention.

"Yes, well, there aren't many other options when you're stuck in an airport for 3 hours." Diana finished the last of her drink and set it down harder than she had meant to, eliciting a look of surprise from the older woman.

"Yes ma'am, what can I get you?" The bartender pulled Anna's attention away from the stressed blonde.

"Oh, I'll have whatever she's having, and another for her as well."

The bartender smiled and nodded before turning away to get the drinks ready and the older woman turned to the younger one with a look of concern.

"Are you alright, Diana?" Anna asked softly as she put her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"I'm...no. I'm not fine. I'm going to be late for a very important event tonight." Diana ran her hand though her hair and hunched over with her elbows on the bar and her head resting in her hand. "Unless we're stuck here all night." She then grumbled under her breath.

"I see. Something to do with your friends I imagine?" The older woman asked as two drinks were set down on the bar in front of them. She quietly thanked the bartender and flashed a small smile before turning her attention back to Diana who had already picked her drink up and was sipping on it.

"Girlfriend, actually. Her birthday party is tonight." The blonde tiredly sighed. "I can't seem to get things right, Anna. I promised her I would be there. I promised I'd never make it seem as if this job was more important, yet here we are." She gestured around the lounge and took another drink. "I don't want to let her down again." She added softly.

"I think you may be over thinking this, Diana. You hold quite a powerful position but you do not have power over the weather my dear. I'm sure she'll understand." Anna smiled at her warmly before taking a sip of her own drink and her face twisted instantly. "Goodness this is strong. What is it?" She asked as she looked down at the offending drink.

"Vodka."

"Vodka?" The older woman quirked an eyebrow at that. "I wasn't aware you had a taste for anything other than wine?"

"To be honest, I do have a taste for many things other than wine. Though wine is always the safest option." Diana smiled in amusement before she continued. "Hannah and Barbara wouldn't be happy with me if they knew I was indulging myself with vodka."

"And why is that?" Anna inquired before grimacing again after taking another sip of the strong liquid.

"Apparently I get quite mean...among other reasons." The blonde blushed as she thought back to the morning that Barbara had fainted. "But don't worry, Anna, I haven't had enough for it to take full effect."

"Good, I quite like this new job you know. I can't have you firing me after only a few weeks." Anna smirked at the young CEO who in turned chuckled and playfully slapped the older woman's shoulder.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they listened to the rain hitting the windows and the quiet music filling the otherwise silent lounge. Diana idly spun her small glass around, lost in thought, while Anna watched the younger woman with a mix of fondness and sadness.

"You know," Anna broke the silence. "you're mother would be so proud of the woman you've become, Diana." The young CEO swiftly turned her head and looked at the older woman in surprise at the odd change of subject. "You are the spitting image of her. It's as if she'd been cloned, both her looks and her rather...strong personality."

"I hope that is a positive thing." Diana said as she arched her eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, if I was being honest, it probably depends on who you ask." The older woman chuckled, her eyes full of mirth as Diana's jaw dropped. "She had an affinity for getting into some rather precarious situations with your father when they were teenagers. Although I can't be sure which one of them was truly to blame."

"No! It couldn't have been my mother." Diana laughed at this newfound information. Her mother had always been warm and lighthearted as far as the blonde could remember. But a troublemaker?

"I don't doubt your father had quite the influence on her, but he isn't the one who started a bar fight and ended up in handcuffs."

"Anna! You can't be serious!" The blonde's eyebrows were raised as far as they could go as she stared at the chuckling older woman.

"Oh your grandfather was livid." The older woman laughed for a moment longer and then sighed a happy sigh at the memory. "She was a remarkable woman. But she never took herself too seriously. I'm just truly sorry that you weren't able spend more time with her Diana." Anna reached over and squeezed Diana's hand when she saw the sadness take over the young woman's expression and continued. "You were forced to mature so quickly, I forget you're only nineteen years old. And I think you do as well."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Anna." The blonde replied as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"I mean you are nineteen years old, Diana. Don't be afraid to act like it. If your mother can get arrested at nineteen, you can let loose once in a while." Anna could see Diana about to argue the point so she put her hand up to stop her and continued. "At work, you can be Diana Cavendish, CEO. But outside of work, you are simply Diana, nineteen year old college student. Have fun and be young. You owe it to yourself. And your mother would, no doubt, agree with me."

Before Diana could reply, an announcement came over the speakers in the lounge alerting everyone that the flights would begin leaving again now that the storm had mostly passed. Anna quickly stood up and gathered her things.

"Just think about it. And I'll talk to you soon. You have a party to get to, yes?"

"Yes." Diana flashed a brilliant smile at the older woman, who smiled back warmly and nodded before she turned and left. "Yes." She whispered to herself and pulled out her phone as she grabbed her bag and began to walk quickly out of the lounge. The blonde selected the contact she was looking for and pressed the call button before putting the phone up to her ear. It rang only twice before the call was picked up.

" _Diana! Are you back yet?_ _Do you need us to come and pick you up? Where are you?_ _"_

"Barbara!" Diana shouted, successfully stopping the barrage of questions.

" _S-sorry, Diana."_

"It's quite alright. But I need a favor from you and Hannah."

" _Of course. What is it?"_

"I'm still in Germany at the moment. My flight was delayed due to a terrible storm but I'm about to board now. Which means I'll be quite late to the party so I need you to stall. I don't want it to end before I get there."

" _Stall. Okay, I'm sure we can come up with something."_

"Just don't do anything...um..."

" _We won't do anything stupid, Diana."_

"Thank goodness. Okay, I've arrived at my gate. I'll see you soon, Barb."

" _Okay, Diana. Have a safe flight."_

* * *

"What do you mean stall?" Amanda asked after she was unceremoniously pulled out of her house by a certain duo and filled in on Diana's situation. "How late is she going to be?"

"We're not sure yet but she wants to be here before it's over." Barbara replied.

"I'm guessing she'll be about another hour and a half, give or take." Hannah added.

"But everyone is here already, what am I supposed to do?" Amanda looked back into her house nervously. "What are we gonna tell Akko?"

"Just keep her busy. She won't notice." Hannah shrugged.

"Really?" The redhead arched an eyebrow. "You really think she's just not gonna notice that her girlfriend is two hours late to her birthday party because she's busy?"

"Then get her drunk. Maybe she won't notice then." The auburn haired girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh. Why don't we just tell her? She'll understand that Diana's flight was delayed." Amanda said in exasperation.

"I'm sure that's fine, Amanda. If she asks. All we were asked to do is make sure the party doesn't end. It sounded like Diana had something planned." Barbara began to walk inside but was stopped by someone grabbing her arm.

"You don't think..." Amanda trailed off with her eyebrows raised.

"Honestly I don't give a damn as long as it's not me this time." The black haired girl shivered and continued into the house.

"Cavendish scarred her for life." Amanda snickered after watching Barbara leave and then turned back to Hannah, who had an odd expression on her face. "What?"

With out a word, Hannah grabbed the front of the redhead's shirt and pulled her in for a surprisingly soft kiss. The auburn haired haired girl snaked her arms around Amanda's neck before she pulled away and stared into surprised emerald green eyes.

"What are we, Amanda?" Hannah's tone and expression were completely serious, catching the redhead off guard.

"What?"

"I can't be someone you just hook up with once in a while. I refuse to be used like that. So I need to know if this is going anywhere, Amanda. You need to tell me." The desperation in Hannah's voice broke through Amanda's confused daze.

"I...um..." The redhead was at a loss for words as she stared back at the shorter girl.

"Ugh. Look, I may not have a flare for the dramatic like Diana, so I'm just going to come right out and ask." Hannah cleared her throat and took a deep breath before closing her eyes tightly. "Will you...um...b-be my girlfriend?" The auburn haired girl winced at her stuttering and opened her eyes to see Amanda's reaction, which was pure confusion.

"I thought I already was."

"How could...we never even talked about it!"

"I thought it was implied."

"Implied? God you're such a dunce."

"But you're the one who asked this dunce to be her girlfriend. I'm officially your dunce now."

"I'm already beginning to regret that decision."

"You love me and you know it."

Hannah opened the door and was immediately met by a hyperactive brunette that had crossed the room at an impressive speed when the door opened.

"Oh. H-hey Hannah. Is um...Diana with you?" Akko asked as she leaned to the side as to see behind the pair better.

"That didn't last long." Amanda mumbled before receiving a sharp elbow to the ribs.

"Unfortunately Diana's flight was delayed. But she's going to be here as soon as she can." Hannah tried to say as lightheartedly as she could manage.

"Oh. Okay." The brunette's shoulders hunched and she looked around sadly at the house full of people.

"Hey Akko. Ready to get your ass handed to you at beer pong?" Amanda spoke up, knowing exactly what to do to get her friend's mind off of her missing girlfriend. Anything competitive would surely do. And to the redheads delight, Akko looked up with a mischievous glint in her eye and a bright smile on her face.

"I'd love to see you try, O'Neill."

About twenty minutes later, Amanda stood on a chair in the middle of a crowd of girls in the kitchen holding up a piece of paper covered in her own chicken scratch handwriting.

"Welcome to the first annual Akko's birthday beer pong tournament!" She shouted jovially and was met with cheers and whoops from the crowd consisting of close friends and teammates of the brunette. "Alright. Akko and I have selected the teams which are on here," The redhead pointed to the paper in her hand. "along with where you are placed on the bracket and who you will be facing off against." Amanda jumped off of the chair and placed the paper on the fridge with a spare magnet that happened to resemble a stein of beer.

The girls gathered around the fridge after the redhead moved to stand beside Hannah. The soon to be competitors let out a mix of happy 'yes's' and annoyed groans when they found out who'd they'd be teaming up with before mostly everyone grabbed their drinks or food and moved toward the back patio where the table had already been set up.

"You girls never half ass a party, do you." Hannah turned to her girlfriend with a smirk and an eyebrow raised.

"You know it, babe." Amanda winked and flashed a toothy grin. "Or shall I say, beer pong partner."

"Amanda, I've never played beer pong. You'll probably lose!" Hannah took a step away, putting her hands up in front of herself.

"I'll teach you. And to be honest, as long as I'm having fun with you, I don't really care if I lose." The redhead moved closer and wrapped her arms around Hannah's waist.

"You don't really care if you lose?" The auburn haired girl's lips twitched. "How bad did that hurt to say?"

"It was excruciatingly painful." Amanda deadpanned in reply making her girlfriend giggle.

"Well then, we better win." Hannah stood on her tip toes to give the redhead one last sweet kiss before leaning in close to Amanda's ear. "And I'll be sure to give you a special prize if we do." Hannah then turned and walked toward the back door, making sure to swing her hips seductively before turning back and winking as she disappeared through the back door, leaving a completely shocked Amanda standing in the kitchen alone.

"God I love that girl." She whispered to herself.

"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?"

"Gah!" Amanda gasped loudly and jumped at the unexpected voice behind her. She spun around and was welcomed with the familiar smirk of a certain waitress. "God! Jennifer! You scared the shit out of me." The redhead held her chest dramatically making the other girl chuckle.

"Has someone finally tamed the wild Amanda O'Neill? I'm impressed."

"Shut up." Amanda mumbled but let a small smile break through nonetheless.

"Alright. So tell me, who is this," Jennifer paused to look at the beer pong bracket before proceeding. "Barbara that you've paired me up with?"

"Oh, right." Amanda gestured for Jennifer to follow her to the kitchen window that looked out onto the patio. "She's the black haired girl right there talking to Lotte." The redhead pointed to Barbara and Jennifer's gaze followed.

"Oh. Wow." Jennifer blushed and cleared her throat. "I-I mean she's...uh...cute."

"Mmhmm." Amanda glanced sideways and continued. "And she's a big Nightfall nerd just like you."

"I...I'm not...wait!" Jennifer reluctantly pulled her gaze away from Barbara to turn to Amanda fully. "You're not trying to set us up are you?"

"Of course...not. Of course not!" The redhead put her hands up in surrender at the waitress's glare. "Akko and I just thought you'd make good teammates. That's all, I promise!"

"That better be it. Or else I'll tell your girlfriend all about how you like to-"

"Ooookay. N-no need for that. Heh heh. Let's just go meet your teammate shall we?" Amanda nervously blurted out before grabbing Jennifer's arm and dragging her toward the back door.

They entered the patio area where the table was set up and a match had already started. Akko and Jasminka were teamed up against two girls from their hockey team. Music blared from the speakers still installed in the gazebo and girls were chatting loudly in big groups around the large area. After weaving their way through various people and obstacles, Amanda and Jennifer approached the small group of Lotte, Sucy and Barbara who turned when they heard the incoming girls.

"Hey Barbs, this is your beer pong partner, Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Barbara." The redhead gestured to each of them.

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before Jennifer shook her head slightly and held out her hand and smiled nervously.

"It's very nice to meet you, Barbara."

"Yeah. I mean, you too. It's nice to meet you too." The black haired girl reached out and shook the Jennifer's hand and lingered a little longer than what was normal before suddenly pulling her hand away and clearing her throat.

"Alright. You guys just...talk about whatever you nightfall nerds talk about." Amanda turned to walk away and began to chuckle when she was met with three disgruntled girls yelling 'hey' and one purple haired girl cackling behind her.

* * *

Diana stepped out of a black town car parked on the curb and retrieved her bag from the driver before offering a small thanks before walking across the yard to the front door of the house. She could hear loud music blaring and laughs and yells of unruly girls from the back yard, and she was relieved that it sounded as if the party wasn't going to die down anytime soon. Before she could knock or walk in, the door quickly opened and Hannah and Barbara ran out to greet her with aggressive hugs causing the three girls to almost tumble to the ground. This gave the blonde a sneaking suspicion that she was going to be the only person here who wasn't already completely drunk.

"Girls, please." Diana struggled to breath out.

"Sorry, Diana!" Barbara literally jumped back as she shouted.

Hannah just giggled as she swayed and stepped back to put an arm around Barbara's shoulders. The blonde narrowed her eyes at the both of them.

"Just how drunk are you two?"

"Have you ever heard of beer pong, Diana?" Hannah was now loudly whispering for no apparent reason.

"...Yes." Diana hesitantly replied but was only met with giggling from the other girl who had clearly forgotten she had been in a conversation. "Akko's not...this drunk is she?" She asked as she gestured in the general direction of her two friends.

"Oooh, Akko is really good at beer pong." Barbara stated in awe. "So is Jennifer." She then said dreamily.

"...Who?" The blonde was very confused now. Just how much had she missed?

"Come on, Diana. Let's go get you your Akko!" Hannah shouted as she linked arms with the blonde and began to pull her inside the house.

"Wait, ladies, I need to speak to Amanda first before we let Akko know that I'm here." Diana successfully stopped the two pushy girls just inside the house and dropped her bag by the door. "Could you go get her for me? And...be subtle about it." As the blonde spoke the words, she knew it'd be near impossible for them to be subtle at this point, but she could hope.

"Of course, Diana!" The two girls said in unison before they walked quickly toward the back door.

Diana sighed and shook her head as she walked into the kitchen to look out the window and was met with an odd sight. A crowd had gathered around the table under the gazebo and she could see that Akko and Amanda were engaged in an arm wrestling match. It seemed that they were evenly matched as their hands weren't moving at all.

"What in the world?" Diana mumbled just before the door opened, amplifying the noise from outside before a girl came into view and shut door behind her. The girl then looked over and paused when she saw the blonde standing in the kitchen looking at her.

"Oh! Hey, you're Diana right?"

"Yes, and you...are the waitress from the bar?"

"That's me. Jennifer." The waitress held out her hand and Diana reached out and shook it.

"It's nice to see you again." The blonde smiled kindly and then turned to look out the window once more. "So, what is going on out there?"

"Well, Akko beat Amanda at beer pong. And then they started arguing about who was better at what. And then they decided to settle it over an arm wrestling match." Jennifer stated as if there was nothing odd about what was going on. But she caught on to the blonde's confusion and continued. "They've done this a few times at the bar before."

Diana nodded but before she could reply there came a loud cheer from outside. She looked out and saw that Amanda had lost and was now stomping her way over to the door as Akko stood on the table flexing her arms. The blonde sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose while Jennifer chuckled beside her.

"Your girlfriend is a little firecracker, isn't she."

"Yes, she certainly is...something."

"Oi! Cavendish!" Amanda shouted as she practically busted through the back door. "You made it!"

"Hello, Amanda." The blonde rolled her eyes at the loud redhead. "If you could keep it down I'd appreciate it. I don't want Akko to know I'm here yet."

"Oooh. Why?"

"Just...follow me and I'll explain." Diana moved into the next room where she couldn't be seen through any windows and Amanda followed close behind. She quickly explained her plan and with each word, the redhead eyebrows raised more and more.

"So you're really gonna go through with it huh?" Amanda asked with a grin after the blonde finished talking. "What made you change your mind?"

"Someone convinced me that I should let loose once in a while." Diana smiled at the memory of the conversation she had with Anna only hours earlier.

"Well remind me to send that person a gift sometime to thank them for that." Amanda chuckled at yet another eye roll from the blonde. "Nice suit by the way. What is it with you and suits? Akko's brain isn't going to be able to function for days already after what's about to happen, add the suit and she just might die from the gayness of it all."

"Just...get Akko in here and put this song on. I'll take care of the rest." Diana shoved her phone into Amanda's chest.

"Damn, you've changed." The redhead laughed at the blonde's newfound confidence as she turned the phone on to look at the song and then whistled. "Ariana Grande?" She asked with her eyebrows raised.

"What, I'm not allowed to like popular music?"

"Hey, I didn't say that. It's just...this song...you know what? It's great. Great song." Amanda nodded and walked away to find Hannah and Barbara. "Akko is gonna die." She mumbled to herself as she searched.

After Amanda found the two girls and filled them in on what was about to happen, and after a fair amount of giddy squealing, the plan was in motion. Hannah and Barbara nonchalantly made their way outside and successfully pulled a reluctant Akko away from a riveting game of beer pong.

"I think it's about time for you to receive one of your birthday presents, Akko." Barbara said as she linked an arm with the brunette.

"But, Diana's not here yet. I wanted to wait for her to open any presents." Akko started to argue.

"Oh, don't worry. I think you're going to see her veeeery soon." Hannah linked her arm with the brunette's other arm and began to lead her inside.

"Oh, really? She's almost here?" Akko's eyes lit up instantly and she was no longer struggling to get out of the girl's grasp.

"Mmmhmm." Hannah and Barbara replied together and grinned mischievously, which Akko failed to notice.

After they made it inside to the main living area, curious girls were filing in behind them. When they stopped in the middle of the room, Akko looked around in confusion. That is, until she saw it. A lone chair sat there in front of her and she had no doubt what it was there for. Her eyes widened greatly and she began to back up, only to be stopped by Hannah and Barbara, and a third person in back of her. The brunette spun around quickly and saw that it was Amanda, who donned an evil grin.

"Going somewhere?" The redhead asked slyly.

"W-what's..."

"Relax, Akko. Have a seat." Amanda nodded her head, urging Hannah and Barbara to do their job and 'help' the brunette into the chair.

Luckily for the two girls, Akko didn't put up much of a fight. Whether it was complete shock, or knowing that there were too many girls to fight off, she sat down and awaited her fate. 'Diana's going to kill me' she thought as the anxiousness swelled up inside of her. 'How could they do this to me?' Amanda, Hannah and Barbara stood in front of her as the music started and she recognized the song instantly. Her head turned back and forth quickly, noticing that everyone was just standing there, no one was moving. That is, until Amanda stepped to the side and revealed the person who was going to be giving Akko her first lap dance. Diana stood there with a smirk on her beautiful face, wearing an immaculate suit. 'Of course she'd be wearing a suit! Just kill me now!' She screamed internally.

The blonde began slowly walking toward the terribly flustered brunette, loosening her tie as she went. And to prematurely pound the nail into Akko's coffin, she slowly, painfully slowly, took off her suit jacket and handed it to Barbara, all while never breaking eye contact with the brunette. Akko had been so flustered that she hadn't even registered that the first verse to the song was almost over. But when she began to pay attention to the words while Diana was walking seductively toward her, she wished she hadn't, because now she was blushing furiously and nothing had even happened yet.

 _All that you got, skin to skin, oh my God_

 _Don't you stop, boy_

The blonde finally reached Akko and winked before straddling the brunette's thighs and sitting on her lap as the chorus started. Akko's breath hitched as her girlfriend started to grind on her.

 _Somethin' 'bout you makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

 _Somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout you_

 _Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't_

 _Somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somthin' 'bout_

The brunette swallowed nervously as she stared at Diana who was looking back down at her, a smirk still plastered on her face. Without thinking, Akko's hands made their way to Diana's hips but were instantly smacked away. The blonde leaned down and whispered into Akko's ear, lips brushing the shell as she spoke.

"No touching."

Akko shivered violently before Diana stood up and began to walk around the chair as her fingertips traced up the brunette's arm and across her shoulders.

 _I wanna savor, save it for later_

 _The taste of flavor, 'cause I'm a taker_

' _Cause I'm a giver, it's only nature_

 _I live for danger_

After Diana made her way around the chair, she again sat on Akko's lap and put her arms around the brunette's neck and locking eyes with her as she began to grind again. But to the blonde's surprise, Akko wasn't blushing anymore. She stared up at Diana with a hunger that the blonde had never seen in her eyes before.

 _Somethin' 'bout you makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

 _Somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout you_

 _Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't_

 _Somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somthin' 'bout_

The blonde hadn't even noticed that she stopped moving. She stared back down at Akko with the same intensity, noticing that the brunette's gaze flitted down to her lips for a split second.

 _All girls wanna be like that_

 _Bad girls underneath like that_

 _You know how I'm feeling inside_

"Fuck it." Diana suddenly said as she stood up in a flash, grabbing Akko's hand in the process and pulling her up as well.

"Did you just say..." The brunette trailed off in shock as she was now being dragged through a crowd of bewildered party goers.

The pair quickly climbed the stairs and out of view as the song finally ended and the room fell silent.

"Well..." Amanda started and stopped as no words came to her at the moment.

"Yeah." Hannah added unhelpfully.

"I'm sorry, but, did Diana just say 'fuck it'?" Barbara asked one of the many questions that were on everyone's minds at the moment.

"Oh good. You heard it too. I thought I was losing it from all the gay sexual tension." The redhead breathed a sigh of relief.

"We should maybe, like, turn the music up really, really loud. Before..." Hannah pointed upward in the direction of Akko's room which was met by a chorus of agreements from the girls around the room.

"On it." Amanda connected her phone and turned on her party playlist. Music blared from the sound system making several people cover their ears. "IS THIS LOUD ENOUGH?" She yelled as loud as she could over the music.

"GOD I HOPE SO!" Hannah yelled back.

* * *

Diana shut Akko's door behind them after they entered the room and roughly pushed the brunette up against it. She leaned in and took Akko's lips in a desperate kiss, pinning the brunette's body against the door with her own and placing a knee in between Akko's thighs. Diana pulled away after a long moment and breathed heavily from lack of oxygen and the adrenaline coursing through her body.

"What have you done to me, Akko?" She whispered as slowly pressed her thigh against Akko's core, eliciting a soft moan from the brunette. "I can't even make it a week. I'm addicted to you." The blonde whispered again before placing kisses down Akko's neck and grinding once more into her girlfriend who let out a louder moan this time and began to grind her own hips. "I want you."

Akko suddenly twisted the blonde around and pushed her against the door before crashing her lips into the blonde's for another passionate kiss. She began to unbutton Diana's white shirt with shaking hands, and after fumbling for longer than she could handle, she pulled the shirt open by force, causing buttons to clatter to the floor. Both girls froze mid kiss before Akko pulled away, wide eyed and horrified at her actions. Diana looked down at her now buttonless dress shirt in surprise.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean...well I obviously meant to but...um..." Akko trailed off and walked backward as the blonde walked toward her with an unreadable expression.

The brunette ran out of room and was forced to stop at the edge of the desk, letting Diana close the distance quickly. The blonde immediately began unbuttoning the frustratingly short shorts Akko was wearing and pulled them down with ease along with her underwear. The brunette shivered from the sudden cold hitting her naked lower half before Diana bent down and picked her up, eliciting a squeak from Akko, and causing the brunette to wrap her arms and legs around the blonde by reflex. Diana set Akko down on the desk and their lips crashed together once more as the blonde's hand moved down and found it's destination between the brunette's thighs. Akko moaned into their kiss before pulling away and arching her back, pushing herself into Diana's touch. The blonde began trailing kisses down her girlfriend's neck and bit down at the base making Akko cry out in pleasure as she was pushed over the edge into pure ecstasy. She clung onto Diana's neck as she came down from the high until she went limp and leaned her forehead tiredly on the blonde's shoulder, breathing heavily.

"Holy shit." Akko whispered, making her girlfriend chuckle. The brunette then pushed Diana's shirt off her shoulders revealing her favorite light blue bra and began kissing and nibbling at the newly exposed skin. The blonde bit her lip and closed her eyes as she let out quiet moans. "It's my turn now, Diana." Akko whispered into Diana's ear before she began to unbutton the blonde's pants and then slowly pushed them down, but before Diana could step out of them, she was pushed onto her back into the soft mattress on the bed. Akko immediately knelt before her and pulled her pants and underwear the rest of the way off in a flash.

"Akko, what..." The blonde trailed off and her eyes glazed over as she watched Akko begin trailing kisses up her leg until she became dangerously close to Diana's center. The blonde tensed up and held in her breath in anticipation before her girlfriend retreated and began doing to same with the other leg. Diana leaned her head back and let out a frustrated whine, making Akko smile into the blonde's skin as she continued her trail of kisses upward.

"So impatient." Akko said in amusement, causing Diana to sit up on her elbows and glare at her.

"I'm about to take care of it myself if you don't." The blonde smirked as the brunette's jaw dropped.

Akko practically jumped upward and began kissing Diana, her body half way on top of the blonde's. She slid her hand down between them and began to give Diana exactly what she wanted as the blonde began grinding her hips into Akko's hand. Soon they were both moving their bodies in sync and before long, Diana broke away from the kiss, closing her eyes tightly and let out a scream as her body tensed up and shook beneath Akko from the waves of pleasure coursing through her. When she finally relaxed, they both laid in silence as they caught their breaths. The brunette laid her head on her girlfriend's chest, listening as the blonde's heart rate slowly decreased. Diana mindlessly ran her fingers through the brunette locks of her girlfriend.

"Akko." Diana quietly called out.

"Hmm?" Akko lazily replied as she looked up.

Diana shifted her body onto her side until they were now facing each other fully. The blonde cupped Akko's cheek and pulled her in for another soft kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Diana." Akko whispered back as gazed into her girlfriend's beautiful azure eyes.

They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity before Akko's eyebrows furrowed. Diana noticed the sudden change in expression and looked back in concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh just...um...hey Diana?" The brunette asked nervously.

"Yes?" The blonde replied with an arched brow.

"What do you think about...sex...toys?" Akko's face was overtaken with a deep shade of red but she forced herself to keep eye contact with her girlfriend.

"I'm...not exactly sure what you're asking me."

"Like, what would you say if I...maybe...bought one?"

"...We could just use mine."

"EH?! You...you have..."

"Yes."

"B-but...I can't believe you have one of those!"

"I think you're overreacting just a bit here, Akko."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 _Welcome To The Family_

The morning sun shown through the large window over Akko's desk, all but blinding Diana when her eyes fluttered open. With a wince she immediately closed and rubbed them before setting her gaze on the girl in front of her, the girl whose limbs were entangled with her own. She smiled adoringly and studied Akko's features as she slept, always taking the time to memorize every inch of the brunette when she can. Akko's hair was sticking out every which way, her mouth open and most likely drooling on her pillow. Diana silently giggled at the sight and reached out to move some hair out of her girlfriend's adorable face. Akko shifted slightly at the light touch but stilled almost instantly as she settled back into a deep sleep. This had been the second time that the blonde had woken up next to her girlfriend like this, next to the girl who she couldn't live without. And although she wouldn't admit it yet to anyone but herself, she wished she could wake up next to Akko every morning for the rest of her life. As she was lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice that her girlfriend was awake and staring back at her now with crimson eyes full of amusement.

"Good morning." Akko whispered sleepily with a sly smile.

Diana blinked a few times, pulling herself out of her daze. She just now realized that she had been staring and smiling at her sleeping girlfriend like a fool. Luckily Akko didn't seem to mind.

"Good morning, Akko." Diana replied, voice low and raspy from sleepiness.

Without another word, Akko shifted herself so that she was facing the blonde on the bed and closed the small gap between them, naked bodies now pressed up against each other. The brunette rested her forehead against Diana's and stared into her girlfriend's impossibly beautiful azure eyes. They remained like this for a long while, content to just be with one another.

"You're so beautiful." Akko murmured lovingly. "How did I get so lucky?"

Diana began to blush and had to look away as she couldn't contain her shy smile.

"I assure you, Akko, I am the lucky one."

The brunette leaned back and shook her head.

"Nope." Akko said with a tone of finality before flashing a smirk. "If the expressions on all the girl's faces last night told me anything, it is me who is the lucky one."

"Last night?" The blonde furrowed her brows, thinking back to night before.

"Yeah. Most of those girls aren't even gay, but damn they were thirsty for a little Diana Cavendish." The brunette giggled a little at her own joke before leaning in, her lips ghosting her girlfriend's. "But you're mine. They can't have you." She said before kissing Diana softly at first, but it seemed her words had sparked something in the blonde, as she deepened the kiss almost immediately. The blonde took Akko's bottom lip between her teeth, making the brunette moan before Diana pulled back.

"Getting a little possessive?" Diana smirked before trailing kisses across Akko's jawline.

"I see the way people look at you." The brunette breathed out, tilting her head to expose more of her neck as the blonde trailed her kisses lower. "How can I not be?"

Diana pulled back, making Akko whine from the loss of contact, and flashed an amused smile toward her girlfriend.

"I hadn't noticed how other people look at me. Because I only have eyes for you, Atsuko Kagari."

The brunette opened and closed her mouth like a fish, trying to come up a reply to her very smooth girlfriend. It was infuriating sometimes how good Diana was with words. And at the moment, Akko struggled to come up with even one word. But before she could, the blonde continued.

"I'm not complaining though. I actually kind of like it when you get pos..." Diana's smirk suddenly faltered as she trailed off. After a short moment, her eyes widened and a look of horror replaced her playful expression from just seconds before. "Last night. Oh my god."

"What?" Akko asked, confused at the sudden change in her girlfriend's demeanor.

"I...you..." Diana leaned back out of Akko's embrace and pointed at herself and then to Akko. "In front of everyone." She then covered her face that was slowly being overtaken by a furious blush.

"I don't know what..." The brunette trailed off in contemplation, staring at her girlfriend with concern.

"I gave you a lap dance in front of everyone!" Diana squeaked out, her voice slightly muffled as her hands still covered her face. "Oh my god what was I thinking?"

"Oooh." Akko said slowly before she covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her grin, but she couldn't hide her laughter as her shoulders shook.

"It's not funny." The blonde glared at the brunette between the fingers covering them.

"Okay okay." Akko put her hands up in front of her in surrender, still giggling a bit. "You don't have to be so embarrassed, Diana. No one is gonna judge you."

"Your friends are never going to let me live this down." Diana groaned, not seeming to have listened to the brunette's statement. "I made a fool of myself."

"You...uh...you really didn't." Akko said before clearing her throat. "You're really good at...lap dances."

"That's not helpful, Akko." The blonde stated flatly, finally uncovering her face.

"Oh." The brunette said simply before she turned her head at a loud noise that had come from downstairs. That's when she noticed the smell. "Breakfast! Hey, let's get dressed and eat. You'll feel better after-"

"No! I'm not going down there! I can't face your friends yet." Diana sat up and leaned against the wall in defiance, bringing the blankets up to cover her naked body.

"Seriously?" Akko raised an eyebrow as she sat up as well. "I never thought I'd see the ever poised Diana Cavendish acting so childish."

Not responding, the blonde just crossed her arms and looked away pursing her lips, making the brunette chuckle.

"Why do you care so much about what everyone else thinks?" Akko asked as she moved to sit next to her girlfriend and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder.

Diana stayed silent for a long moment, contemplating the question. She then let out a long sigh.

"Because that's how I was raised." She said quietly as she looked down at her hands fidgeting with the blanket in her lap. "I'm not..." She trailed off, struggling to find the words to explain. "this person I've been since I met you...it's not who I'm supposed to be."

Akko stayed silent. She was surprised at the sudden admission and had no idea what to say nor what to think. Was Diana having second thoughts about being with her? Why couldn't things be simple for once? As things finally became easy and clear for Akko, it seemed the blonde was still struggling with their relationship. The brunette snapped out of her internal musings when Diana continued to speak.

"Before I met you, Akko, my life was planned out. I knew who I was. I was Diana Cavendish, prodigy of Luna Nova, heir to Cavendish Medical. Nothing more, nothing less." She stared absentmindedly at the wall in front of her with sad eyes. "All I cared about was school and carrying on my family legacy. Honestly, I believed there was nothing else to life than that. It was pounded into my head over and over again how I should behave, what should be important to me, who I should be acquainted with, what kind of person I should...be in a relationship with." Diana chanced a glance at her girlfriend after that last statement, gauging her reaction. As she had expected, Akko had turned to her with her eyebrows raised.

"You were told who you should date?" The brunette asked in shock.

"My aunt tried." The blonde said, chuckling at the memory. "After a few disastrous dates she set me up for, she had let the subject drop fairly quickly."

"Disastrous dates?" Akko giggled a bit. "Was there something wrong with who she set you up with?"

"Yes. They were the wrong gender." Diana said as they both laughed out loud. After a moment she calmed herself enough to continue. "And pretentious and entitled. They only cared about my name and my money. After those dates, I had given up all hope of ever finding someone. I believed I could never find someone who would just...see me for me. I threw myself into my school work because it was one the only things in my life that I could control. And then I met you."

Akko stiffened at the mention of her name. This was the first time Diana had really opened up to her like this and she wasn't exactly sure where this was going. For a reason unknown to herself, she was nervous to hear what was going to come out of her girlfriend's mouth next.

"This gorgeous girl with painfully short shorts comes to my rescue out of nowhere."

"Hey!" The brunette playfully glared. "They are not _painfully_ short. They are a...normal short."

"Akko, they are no better than underwear." Diana arched a brow and her lips quirked up into a lopsided smile.

"I'll bet you were wishing they were my underwear, eh?" Akko winked exaggeratedly at her girlfriend who just groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Anyway," Diana started as she chuckled and playfully shoved the brunette from her shoulder. "you came into my life and everything I had built up, the walls, the facade, you knocked them down with ease. Without even trying." The blonde took Akko's hand in her own and brought it up to kiss the brunette's knuckles before continuing softly. "At first I didn't understand. You threw a wrench into my life and it was changing so quickly. I was changing. And suddenly I didn't know who I was anymore."

Akko squeezed Diana's hand reassuringly, urging the blonde to continue.

"But when I was in London, I realized that the person I am without you, it's not who I am. I lived so long thinking it's who I was supposed to be, but you brought out the real me. The me who can be happy and have fun. The me who can play games, and ride scooters, and-"

"Give lap dances?" Akko cut her off and smiled brightly.

"Ugh." Diana fell face first into the pillow beside her. "Can we just forget that ever happened?" Her words came out muffled.

"Nope. Because you just admitted that it's who you are, remember?" The brunette chuckled and laid down once again beside her girlfriend. "And I love who you are. I'm never going to let you forget who you are ever again."

The blonde turned her head to gaze into her girlfriend's loving eyes. She found no hesitance, no question. What she found was love and adoration.

"Promise?" Diana questioned softly.

"Promise." Akko replied simply with a lopsided smile before she leaned in and began to trail kisses along her girlfriend's jawline causing Diana to bite her bottom lip and let out a soft moan. "And I honestly don't think I could ever forget that lap dance anyway. Or what happened after." Her kisses trailed lower onto the blonde's neck now. Diana grabbed Akko's bare hip and lightly dug her fingernails in as she pulled her body closer to the brunette's. "You were s-"

' _BANG BANG'_

"AH! Shit!" Akko yelped, responding to the sudden banging on the door by flailing her arms as she fell off the side of the small bed. She had been closer to the edge than she had thought apparently. She landed on the floor, entangled in the blanket she had been sharing with her girlfriend. "Ow."

"Ay! Lovebirds! Breakfast is ready! Stop your canoodling and come down here to eat food and not each other." Amanda called out from the other side of the door, snickering at her own lewd joke.

"Wha?! We d-don't...I d-didn't..." The brunette stuttered out before shifting her gaze from the door to her girlfriend now sitting up on the bed and covering her face with the pillow she had grabbed frantically to cover herself with.

"Uh huh. Sure." A disbelieving voice came once more from the other side of the door before heavy footsteps moved down the hall and faded away as Amanda moved down the stairs to the lower level of the house.

Akko and Diana sat in silence until the footsteps could no longer be heard before both sighing in unison.

"You live with too many people." The blonde stated as she slid off the bed to help untangle her girlfriend from the blanket. "How you've managed to deal with Amanda on a daily basis is beyond me."

"She's not that bad." Akko chuckled, finally standing and pulling the blanket up to cover her naked body. She still wasn't completely comfortable baring everything in broad daylight in front of her gorgeous girlfriend. "She's my best friend. And well...I don't really have another option for living arrangements at the moment." The brunette joked as she walked to her closet.

"You could always move in wi-" Diana slapped her hand over her own mouth, cutting herself off from what she had been about to absentmindedly suggest.

"Huh?" Akko asked, oblivious to the blonde's slip up as she sifted through clothes.

Diana closed her eyes and let out the breath she'd been holding and sat back down on the bed and hugged the pillow again. God, she'd heard of the u-haul lesbian stereotype but she never thought she'd be one to embrace it. What was she thinking? What was the proper timeline for things like moving in together? Just months ago she was perfectly happy shutting herself in her room alone everyday as she buried herself in school work or a good novel. She hadn't needed anyone. And now she had almost invited this girl she'd known for a couple months to move in with her. This girl. Akko had really done a number on her. Suddenly she was hit in the face with something soft, jolting her out of her inner musings. She looked down at what had hit her and found a pair of red shorts and a white tank top, both sporting the familiar LN logo of Akko's hockey team. Confused, she looked up at her girlfriend who had already put on her own underwear and sports bra, and was now putting on her own pair of shorts and shirt. The brunette was staring at the blonde with an arched eyebrow expectantly.

"You okay?" Akko inquired with an amused expression.

"I...yes." Diana cleared her throat and looked back down at the pieces of clothing in her hands. "What are these?"

"...Clothes." The brunette simply stated, her lips twitched in her attempt to hold back a smirk. The blonde rolled her eyes at the answer and stared expectantly at her girlfriend once more, as if to silently say 'try again'. Akko chuckled as she pulled her shirt over her head and pushed her arms through the appropriate holes. "You don't have any spare clothing here as far as I can tell. Unless you want to wear that...um...buttonless shirt down to breakfast. Sorry about that, by the way." She flashed the blonde her most apologetic smile.

"It's fine, Akko. I have others. But I do have a suitcase downstairs with extra clothing. Would you be a sweetheart and go get it for me?" Diana pleaded innocently.

"Hmm..." Akko tapped her chin as if in contemplation. "Nope." She finally replied with a mischievous grin.

"Really?" The blonde asked, exasperated.

"Really." The brunette smiled brilliantly and winked for good measure. "Good thing you have some perfectly good clothing right there in your hands."

"You're serious." Diana shook her head and held up the short red shorts. "Akko, no." She groaned as the sheer lack of length of the clothing.

"Diana, yes." Akko taunted. "Those are the shorts you love oh so much. And no, I don't have any longer ones, before you ask." She smirked at the look of horror on the blonde's face.

"But..." Diana tried to argue as she watched the brunette walk over and pick up the light blue bra that had been thrown and ended up draped over the computer screen sitting on the desk. The bra was then thrown onto the clothes in the blonde's lap. "I have pants." Diana whispered too loudly, eyes desperately searching the floor.

"No." Akko breathed out as she joined the search for the trousers. Luckily for her, she spotted them just a second before her girlfriend and dove to snatch them up just as Diana ungracefully slid off the bed. The brunette then ran to the door and disappeared with the pants over her shoulder, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh for the love of..." The blonde grumbled, once again pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance at the brunette's childish antics. With a sigh she stood up and began searching for her underwear, and once she she found them, she slipped them on and clasped her bra in place before putting on the skimpy clothing. She stood in front of the full length mirror next to the closet to give herself a once over. If she was being honest, the outfit didn't look half bad on her. She didn't fill the shorts out quite as well as Akko with her less muscular frame, but the tank top suited her bigger chest. Luckily, her girlfriend had chosen a somewhat baggy top which was probably meant for exercise. A loud grumbling sound coming from her stomach immediately stopped her train of thought as she realized just how hungry she was. After one last look at herself in the mirror, she put her hair up into a low ponytail and headed downstairs for the delicious smelling food.

Diana paused at the bottom of the stairs, suddenly very self conscious about the uncharacteristic amount of exposed skin she showed. Looking around, she noticed Lotte and Sucy sitting together on the love seat in the living area, both with a plate of food. Constanze sat on the floor in front of the small coffee table with a plate in front of her, but she paid more attention to the controller in her hand rather than the food. She was playing some sort of game on the television, an odd character ran around with a gun on the screen. The blonde took a few steps until she could see into the kitchen. Jasminka, as always, stood in front of the stove tending to whatever she was cooking. The kitchen table was full of breakfast food. Plates of eggs, pancakes, a selection a meats, and toast scattered over the table in what looked like a buffet. Her mouth began to water at the sight. She hadn't eaten since before she left for the airport the day before.

Then her gaze landed on three figures staring back at her in shock. First was Hannah who was frozen in place, a spoon full of eggs in her hand half way between her plate and her wide open mouth. Amanda stood next to her holding an empty plate and a fork paused just before stabbing a stack of pancakes, her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline. And then there was Akko. The brunette was leaning her back against the fridge with her arms folded. Her eyes sparkled when their eyes met and she smiled brilliantly before she pushed herself away from the refrigerator and began making her way over to where Diana stood only a few steps away from the stairs. The brunette's gaze wandered down to the blonde's legs as she walked, making Diana blush and look away. But when she felt arms wrap around her neck, she once again looked into her girlfriend's crimson eyes before their lips met in a kiss a little too passionate for public eyes. The blonde faintly heard a chorus of snickers and one flat voice mumble 'get a room' before she pulled away from Akko's lips reluctantly.

"Akko, we aren't alone." Diana whispered frantically.

"So?" Akko smirked and tilted her head in amusement before letting out a giggle and continuing. "You look really hot in those clothes by the way."

Luckily for Diana, that last statement from Akko was a whisper only she could here, but it made her blush furiously nonetheless. The brunette grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers as she pulled her toward the kitchen. The blonde was met by Amanda's feral grin when they approached the kitchen table and she could imagine how many comments were on the redhead's tongue at the moment just waiting to be let loose. This is what she was afraid of after her actions the past night. She acted without even thinking of the repercussions that awaited her in the morning. And although her conversation with Akko this morning did make her feel a little less nervous, it was a completely different story when she was staring this wolf in the face.

"Mornin princess." Amanda said happily and winked before walking away without another word.

"Good...morning." Diana replied hesitantly with her eyebrows raised as she watched the redhead walk away into the living room. What? Nothing? No judgment? No jokes? She saw the redhead sit between Hannah and Jasminka as she taunted Constanze about something that had happened on the TV screen. Laughter filled the space as the small girl turned around and gave the middle finger to Amanda. The blonde smiled slightly at the display before her smile turned sad. An unwelcome feeling building up inside of her, a feeling she'd been fighting all morning. These girls were all so close. This was unfamiliar. Did she belong here? This all seemed so normal. When had she ever felt this comfortable? She knew the feeling should make her happy, but a nagging voice in the back of her head still fought with her, telling her that this was wrong. That her being this happy was wrong. This was all the sudden very overwhelming. Suddenly she wished Amanda had made fun of her, said something to make her feel less content.

Akko must have noticed the lack of movement and paused piling the food onto her plate to look at the blonde with concern.

"Hey, you okay?"

"This is all..." Diana gestured to the crowd in the living room with her hand. "not what I expected. After what happened last night." It wasn't the complete truth, but she couldn't burden her girlfriend with the unexpected meltdown she was having internally.

Akko gazed over the room where the blonde had gestured in confusion.

"Uh...breakfast?" The brunette asked with an arched brow as she held out an empty plate.

"What? No!" Diana grabbed the plate hastily before sighing, fidgeting with the white porcelain object. "This...it's comfortable. I feel a little out of place to be honest. I've never had...this. You all seem so close and I don't think I deserve to be a part of this yet." She said quietly so no one else could hear her besides Akko.

The brunette furrowed her brows, taking in what Diana had admitted and trying to fully understand it. Why was she feeling out of place? She'd never had what exactly? Friends? No, she had Hannah and Barbara. Frustrated by the sudden change in her girlfriend's demeanor, she grabbed the plate out of the blonde's hand and put it down on the table with her own before she led her to the hallway out of sight and out of earshot of the rest of the girls.

"Why would you think you don't deserve to be a part of this?" Akko asked before turning to lock eyes with the blonde. "Do you not want to be here?"

"No, Akko." Diana's expression turned soft. "It's the exact opposite. There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be." She could tell that her answer only confused the brunette more. Which was understandable. How could she explain something she couldn't fully understand herself? "Akko, after my parents passed, I was alone. I remained alone because I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone. As far as I was concerned, I had no family. My aunt acted more like a professor of business, required to deal with me rather than wanting to help her niece. I had no one." Again, like so many times before, the bitter memories of being alone for so long came flooding back and a tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "I spent most of my life being unhappy, being unloved. And now that I have both it feels wrong." The blonde sniffed once as the tears began to fall. "Like this isn't going to last and I'm going to go back to suddenly being alone. And it scares the hell out of me."

Akko, who had been frozen watching her girlfriend fall apart in front of her, finally snapped out of her shock and reached out to wipe the tears away from the blonde's cheeks and pulled her into a tight hug. She rubbed soothing circles into Diana's back and didn't let go until her breathing became normal again. She pulled away until she could look into the blonde's wet eyes.

"You will never be alone again if I have anything to do with it, you understand?" Akko's eyes were full of determination as she said the words. "You may have had no one before, but now you have me. And you have every girl in that room." Without looking away from Diana, she pointed in the general direction of the living room. "Blood doesn't make family, Diana. You're part of our family now. And every single one of us will make sure that you don't forget that. We've all accepted you. The real you." She added, continuing on the conversation from before. The brunette cupped Diana's cheek before continuing. "I know it's different for you, and I'll be here for you until it sinks in. Because I love you and I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me." The brunette flashed her trademark goofy smile, earning an adoring smile and small nod from her girlfriend in return.

"You're stuck with us too, ya know. No way you're getting off that easy."

Diana and Akko both jumped at the new voice and turned their heads in unison to see Amanda standing at the end of the hallway with a smirk on her face, the rest of the girls stood behind her all nodding in agreement with the redhead's statement. The blonde's eyes went wide and her hands went up in self defense as Amanda stalked forward and wrapped her and Akko up in a tight hug around their shoulders.

"What do you think you're doing O'Neill?" The blonde asked between grit teeth as she try to pull the redhead's arm off of her shoulder.

"Shhh...just let it happen." Amanda whispered playfully, holding the two girls tighter and eliciting a giggle out of Akko.

One by one, people joined the group hug as Diana did her best to squirm her way out, but it seemed more impossible with each additional person. The last one to join nearly made the whole group fall over as Jasminka all but crashed into them. For a while it was silent as they all embraced until they felt another nudge of someone joining them. Eight heads turned in surprise to the newcomer.

"Barbara?" Hannah and Diana spoke in surprise.

"What did I miss?" The black haired girl asked as she smiled and seemed to melt into the group hug between Lotte and Jasminka.

"Death by affection." Sucy said flatly with an irritated expression as she wasn't hugging anyone but was being held tightly by her orange haired girlfriend.

Laughing rang out in the small hallway at the statement, and at the center of the pile, Diana locked eyes with Akko who was smiling brilliantly at her. The blonde rolled her eyes playfully but on the inside, for the first time in a long time, she felt like she belonged. She wasn't being judged, there were no expectations. It would take time to get used to, but she knew her girlfriend was right. This was her family now.

After the hug dissipated, the nine girls found themselves in the living room. The reason Barbara had returned was to bring Akko's gifts that Diana had left on their kitchen table before she'd left for Germany, thinking she would be going home before the party. That reminded everyone that the blonde had pulled Akko away from the party before the presents could be given to the birthday girl. So they now sat watching the brunette as she opened various presents from her friends. The biggest being a large framed poster of an action shot of Akko in her hockey uniform from the team. The border was filled with every player's signature. The heartfelt present drew a few tears from the captain and also a pang of guilt that she hadn't opened it last night in front of her team. She was sure they all understood as they were all witness to her bombshell of a girlfriend dragging her upstairs for obvious reasons. Although she was sure she was going to be teased endlessly for the next couple weeks at least. But she didn't care, last night was worth it.

"Alright! I think Diana's presents are the last ones." Lotte said, looking around one more time before nodding to the blonde.

"Oh. O-okay." Diana stuttered slightly as the nerves took over. She stared down at the two wrapped boxes in her lap, wondering if she had done enough. She would give everything she had to the most important person in her life, but she was afraid of going overboard. But what about not enough? She was clueless.

Hesitantly, the blonde handed Akko the two presents and the brunette set them in her lap before picking up the smaller one and started to open it. After the wrapping was gone, Akko stared at the small black box, most likely meant for jewelry of some sort.

"Holy shit, Cavendish. Giving Akko a ring already?" Amanda half joked, but the shock on her face gave away that she believed that Diana could possibly do something huge here.

"What?! No!" She said a little louder than intended and waved her hands in front of herself frantically. "Not that I don't...that I wouldn't..." Diana stuttered and internally face palmed before shutting her mouth and clearing her throat. "It's not a ring." The blonde kept it simple, not trusting herself with anymore words at the moment, now chancing a glance at Akko who was staring back at her in surprise, lips parted slightly.

"Oh." The brunette nodded slowly, lips twitching to hold back a smile as she turned her gaze back to the box and slowly opened it. It was a necklace. Two items hung from a simple silver chain. First, a silver heart encrusted with sapphire gemstones, and second, a pair of crossed silver hockey sticks encrusted with ruby gemstones. Akko wasn't an expert on jewelry, but it looked expensive. And it was absolutely gorgeous. She reached out and ran her finger over the necklace, first the heart. It reminded her of Diana. It reminded her that Diana had given her heart to Akko so freely, that she trusted her enough not to break the already fragile thing. The blue gems reminded her of the sparkling blue eyes she would lose herself in for forever if she could. She then moved to the hockey sticks. The rubies matching her team colors perfectly. The sticks representing a passion that has saved her more than once from losing herself, saved her from going down a path that would have changed her life for the worse.

"Thank you." Akko whispered, still staring at the necklace in awe.

"D-do you like it?" Diana, who had been watching intently for a reaction, whispered back.

"I love it, Diana." The brunette turned to look her waiting girlfriend, smiling brightly. "Will you help me put it on?"

The blonde flashed a toothy smile in returned on nodded as she took the necklace. Akko turned away from her and allowed Diana to clasp the necklace together at the back of her neck. Once the necklace was in place, she held it in her hand tightly, smile never faltering.

"Will you open the other present so we can get on with our lives?" Sucy drawled, rolling her eyes at the lovesick pair on the couch.

"Oh." Akko blinked a few times before looking down at the other present. "I almost forgot. Heh."

She ripped the paper off of this one more quickly and opened the plain cardboard box revealing a black book. Furrowing her brows, she picked it up and threw the box on the floor before turning the book over and gasped. It was a music book. The title, in elegant white font, read 'A Believing Heart' and underneath the title it read 'by Atsuko Kagari'. With wide eyes she turned to the first page revealing the first song.

"Olivia." Akko whispered to herself, but everyone heard the name and tensed up for a moment.

The brunette swallowed hard as she stared at the first song in the book. It was the first song she'd ever written. The first song she'd played publicly at Olivia's funeral. She had simply titled it 'Olivia' for lack of a better title at the time. But it fit, so she never changed it. She turned the pages, seeing song after song that she had written in this published form was unreal. It seemed that Diana had somehow gotten her hands on all the songs she had written. When she reached the end, that last song was titled 'Diana'. The song she'd began writing shortly after meeting her girlfriend for the first time. The inspiration was so strong, even if at first, she wasn't sure why. She closed the book after looking through the whole thing one more time and turned to the blonde and leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss. The move surprised Diana but she instantly reciprocated for a moment before Akko leaned back.

"How did you do this?" The brunette asked with a wide grin.

"Well, Lotte and Sucy acquired your sheet music for me. And Andrew pulled some strings with his connections. I kind of just...put it all together." The blonde stated quietly. "I hope the title is okay. I wasn't going to put a title on it but I thought it fit be-" Another kiss from her girlfriend cut off her ramblings, thankfully.

"It's absolutely perfect. You're perfect. Thank you." Akko said breathlessly.

The brunette's genuine praise and loving expression instantly filled the blonde with warmth, with love. She wondered for a moment why she had been so nervous. She was always over thinking things. Akko was not someone who she needed to impress.

Someone who was now standing in front of them cleared their throat, snapping the two out of their daze. They looked up to see Sucy smiling evilly at Akko and holding out a present.

"What? I thought Diana's presents were the last." The brunette slowly reached her hands out and took the gift, eyes narrowing at the purple haired girl and expecting some sort of trick.

"I was feeling generous." Sucy shrugged and walked back to her spot next to Lotte, who looked at her girlfriend in surprise.

"Oh. Th-thanks." Akko warily began ripping the wrapping paper off that covered the plain cardboard box. Slowly she ripped the tape off of the top and opened the box cautiously as if expecting something to pop out. She could here Sucy's snickering at her nervous behavior. When nothing popped out, she leaned over and reached in and moved aside the newspaper that was used to pack whatever gift was tightly in the box. Akko's hand felt something soft, and round. She pulled it up and saw that it was black and…

"Gah!" She gasped loudly and pushed the object back into to the box and closed it, leaning her weight on it as if whatever the object was, was going to try to fight it's way out. "What the hell, Sucy?"

Sucy was now cackling loudly, doubled over and almost falling sideways to the floor as she shook in amusement. Everyone else looked thoroughly confused at the two girl's behavior. Sucy calmed herself down and wiped a tear of joy away from her eye.

"You seemed to be interested in that when we were at the store yesterday." The purple haired girl grinned as Amanda's and Lotte's jaws dropped and looked at Akko.

"What store?" Diana chimed in with an arched eyebrow.

"That's not really im-" The brunette started.

"The sex toy store." Sucy spouted out unhelpfully.

"Sucy!" Akko and Lotte squeaked in unison.

Diana's eyes shot open wide before she glanced at the box and then to her girlfriend who was now covered in a deep blush. The blonde's mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to find her voice. Amanda was shaking with silent laughter and hid her face in Hannah's shoulder. The auburn haired girl was biting her cheek in an effort not to let out her own laughter at Akko's expense. And next to Hannah, Barbara had both a look of shock and amusement on her features. Constanze only held out a fist to Sucy, who in turn, bumped it with her own fist. Jasminka was eating some potato chips and leaning forward on the couch in anticipation.

"You went at a sex toy store?" Diana finally found her voice and raised her eyebrows.

"Amanda made me go!" Akko suddenly yelled, as if the accusation was bubbling up inside her and finally couldn't be held in any longer.

Amanda gasped as the blonde turned her surprised gaze to the redhead. Amanda gulped, her eyes darting around to the other girls and landed on Barbara.

"Diana gave Barbara a lap dance!" Amanda yelled, pointing at Diana and then to Barbara.

The blonde and black haired girls both gasped and narrowed their eyes at the redhead.

"What?" Akko asked, confused. "You gave Barbara a lap dance?"

"Amanda told me to! And got me drunk!" Diana shouted, pointing at the horrified redhead. The brunette then turned to Amanda, still confused.

"Wait, wh-" Akko started.

"Diana took off her shirt and Barbara fainted!" Amanda shouted again earning another gasp from the blonde.

"Amanda told Diana to take off her shirt! And then I fainted!" Barbara shouted, defending her friend. She stood up and glared at the redhead, who also stood up.

"Stop!" Akko yelled so loud that both Amanda and Barbara shrunk back down into their seats. "What do you mean you told her to take off her shirt." The brunette asked through grit teeth.

"What? She...she..." Amanda stood up off of the couch and began slowly making her way around the table, staying as far away from the brunette who had murder in her eyes. "She said she was hot!" The redhead's voice cracked as she tripped over a bag sitting on the floor and stumbled.

"You got her drunk!" Akko growled as she moved forward.

"It was just to loosen up!" Amanda's back hit the door to the back yard and she fumbled with the doorknob. "Shit shit shit shit."

"You told my girlfriend to give Barbara a lap dance!" The brunette shouted and started sprinting when Amanda finally got the door open and ran. "I'm gonna kill you!" Akko shouted before running through the doorway after the redhead.

The remaining girls all made their way to the windows that looked out on the backyard to watch the scene unfold.

"Well that was unexpected." Sucy stated flatly and turned to Lotte. "Who do you think will win this time?"

"My money's on Akko. She's pretty mad. And she's been on a winning streak lately." Lotte replied, not looking away from the girls in the back yard.

"This time? Winning streak?" Diana turned to look at Lotte in surprise. "How often does this happen?"

"A couple times a month, sometimes more." The orange haired girl said as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

Diana nodded slowly and turned back to the window. At that moment Akko dove at the fleeing redhead and pulled her down hard onto the grass, making everyone inside wince at the sight.

"Welcome to the family." Sucy grinned mischievously at Diana before walking away, bored of the show already.

The blonde let out a long sigh instead of replying before letting a small smile show.

"Welcome to the family indeed."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 _Bonjour_

"I don't want to leave you though." Akko sat pouting on her bed as Diana was now re-packing the suitcase that the brunette had haphazardly packed only minutes before.

The blonde had been clutching the bed sheet tightly as she watched her girlfriend throw clothes into the bag without a care until she couldn't take it any longer. She had gotten up and pushed Akko to the side before dumping the contents of the suitcase out. The brunette watched with amusement as Diana began to neatly fold the clothes and set them in the bag.

"Akko, it's just a few days. I thought you'd be chomping at the bit to go to France for your game." The blonde looked up from the shirt she was folding with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, it'd be better if you we're coming with me." Akko stated softly, looking down sadly at her fidgeting fingers.

Diana couldn't help but smile, her heart filling with warmth at the sight of her pouting girlfriend. She felt the same, she didn't want to be away from Akko for any amount of time, but she couldn't let it show. She felt silly, it would only be a few days. But she had been gone earlier in the week and they only had a few days together, not enough time. Never enough time. Abandoning the clothes for now, Diana climbed onto the bed and pulled Akko down with her until they were both laying down. The blonde laid on her back and the brunette nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Akko slung her arm over Diana's stomach and sighed in content as the blonde ran her fingers through her hair softly.

"You know I'd be there if I could." The blonde cooed softly as she found solace in the warmth of her girlfriend half laying on her. "But I'm buried in paperwork right now."

"I know." Akko sighed again, this time in sadness. "I'm just really going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, love." Diana replied and kissed Akko's forehead, feeling the warmth radiate from the blush on her girlfriend's cheek onto her collarbone at the nickname. The blonde smiled into the brunette's hair, inhaling the scent of the fruity shampoo.

They settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying the quiet sound of each other's relaxed breathing. As Diana continued to run her fingers through brunette locks of hair, Akko began tracing lazy circles into her girlfriend's stomach. They continued like this for a moment until the brunette's fingers traveled up and hit an especially ticklish area on the blonde's ribs, eliciting a very undignified snort from the usually very dignified CEO. Diana's eyes went wide at the sound that had escaped and she brought her hand up quickly to cover her mouth.

"Oh...my..." Akko started, but trailed off as she covered her own mouth to hide her silent laughter.

"No." Diana pointed her finger threateningly and glared at the girl in front of her, who was trying with everything she had, to hold back her amusement. But to the blonde's utter horror, her girlfriend couldn't hold it in.

"Are you...ticklish, my love?" Akko tilted her head, grinning mischievously at Diana as her hand hovered over the very spot that she had discovered before.

"Don't you dare." The blonde said through grit teeth as she unsuccessfully tried to swat her girlfriend's hand away. Akko was too quick, however, and attacked the area with full force.

"Akko st-" Diana tried to voice her defense before snorting once more while she laughed uncontrollably. She flailed wildly, her hands trying to grab the intruding hand, but again Akko evaded capture. The brunette moved her body to straddle Diana's hips and continued her attack with both hands now. With the attention on both sides of her ribs, the blonde's laughter grew louder, and the snorting increased. When she couldn't take it anymore, Diana tried to twist her body and wasn't paying attention to just how close Akko's face was, and her elbow made contact with the brunette's nose.

"Ah!" Akko recoiled and fell to Diana's side, the wrong side, she figured out, as she tumbled off of the bed and onto the floor.

"Oh my god. Akko!" The blonde jumped off of the bed as quickly as she could and knelt next to her girlfriend, hands hovering above Akko as she wasn't sure what to do. She bit her lip, half in worry and half in trying to hold back her laughter at the ridiculous situation.

The brunette was in a crumpled heap on the floor, both hands pressed to her face as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. After a few moments of silence, some noises finally escaped Akko. Diana wasn't sure at first if her girlfriend was crying or laughing. But when she noticed the brunette's shoulders shaking up and down quickly, she let out a sigh of relief. Akko's laughter became less muffled as she slowly uncovered her face and wiped the tears from her eyes before opening them and locking eyes with Diana, who was leaning over her.

"Well, that happened." The brunette said, breathless from her laughter. "I guess I deserved that."

Diana chuckled and leaned back on her heels before holding old a hand for Akko to take. The brunette took the offered hand and sat up, crossing her legs in the process.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" The blonde asked, not being able to hide the amusement in her voice. But her expression suddenly changed when she saw red liquid slowly leaking from her girlfriend's nose. "Akko your nose is bl-"

"Hey Akko, do you have any extra..."

Diana and Akko both turned their heads toward the door, seeing Amanda standing frozen in the doorway and looking at the bleeding brunette in shock.

"Holy shit, Cavendish. What did you do?"

"I...i-it was an acc-" Diana started, face full of horror.

"She elbowed me in the face." Akko nasally stated as she was plugging her nose with her fingers all the while smiling in amusement at her girlfriend who was now glaring daggers at her.

"Huh." Amanda nodded slowly. "So what stupid thing did you do this time?"

"Hey!" The brunette said defiantly and making the mistake of letting her nose go. The warm liquid began dripping again and she quickly leaned her head back before plugging it once more. "Can somebody get me a tissue or something?"

Amanda snickered and nodded before turning around and heading to the bathroom before returning a moment later with a box of tissues, which she tossed onto Akko's crossed legs. The brunette hastily felt around with her hand and pulled out the tissue sticking out and covered her nose with it.

"Well, I'm gonna use your shampoo. Just so you know. Not even gonna ask now. The moment's passed." The redhead stated as she left the room and closed the door.

Diana watched as the door closed, thinking for at least the twentieth time since she started dating Akko, that there were far too many people living with her girlfriend, and far too little privacy. She loved being here, she had grown to think of Amanda as that annoying sister to you loved despite how many times they would get under your skin, but being interrupted at embarrassing and inopportune moments had become the norm. And the blonde found herself imagining, not for the first time, her and Akko in their own place. Being alone together, being able to to do whatever they wanted in blissful silence, and a distinct lack of redheads. Although with their track record, Diana would no doubt have a hard time getting work done due to how much she and Akko enjoyed…

"Diana?"

The blonde blinked a few times as Akko was snapping her fingers in front of her face and calling her name. Snapping out of her daydream, she turned to her girlfriend and sighed when she saw a ball of bloody tissue in each of Akko's nostrils. She looked ridiculous.

"That's attractive." Diana said with a smirk.

"I know you think I'm sexy." The brunette replied as she moved to straddle the blonde's thighs, grinning mischievously as her girlfriend recoiled.

"If you bleed on me, I will leave."

"Aww, come on. Aren't you going to kiss it better?" Akko replied, the nasal tone of her voice still present as she wrapped her arms around Diana's neck and leaned closer.

"Does it still hurt?" The blonde asked in concern, or at least what sounded like concern.

"Nah, it's feels okay. Don't worry."

"Good." Diana replied before she brought her hand up and flicked the tip of Akko's nose.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" The brunette whined as she gingerly rubbed her nose.

"For selling me out to Amanda. We're even. Now take those things out so I can kiss you."

Akko smiled brightly and ripped the balls of tissue out of her nostrils before leaning in and taking Diana's lips in an eager kiss. It was slow and sweet, both girls putting off the coming goodbyes they were going to have to say soon by losing themselves in one another for just this moment. The blonde reluctantly pulled away after a long moment.

"You need to finish packing." She whispered as if in pain.

"I know." Akko replied in the same tone.

Neither girl moved immediately as they held each other, until a loud knocking came from the door.

"Yo, we're leaving in fifteen, Akko." Amanda voice came from the other side.

"Shit. Okay!" Akko yelled as she clumsily crawled off of her girlfriend's lap and began throwing things once more into her suitcase.

Diana's eye twitched with every unfolded item being thrown into the bag, before she turned away and decided it was best to ignore what was happening. Suddenly she got an idea to put off having to say goodbye.

"Hey, Akko. Can I drive you to the airport?"

* * *

The two girls spent the first part of the drive to the airport in silence. The only sound coming from the radio stations that Akko changed at a frustrating rate. Diana clenched her jaw and took a deep breath when the twentieth station didn't seem to have what the brunette was looking for.

"Is there a particular song you're looking for?" Diana inquired in an irritated tone. Her girlfriend failed to recognize said irritation.

"Nah." Akko simply stated as she again changed the station eliciting a sigh from the blonde. Suddenly the brunette clapped her hands together and yelled. "This! I love this song!" She turned the music up loudly making Diana wince.

"Is the volume necessary?" The blonde yelled over the booming bass.

"Yes!" Akko yelled back as she began to dance animatedly in her seat.

Diana slowed the car and stopped at a red light, glancing at the car to her right. An older couple looked over as they heard the loud bass and both shook their heads in obvious disapproval of the music and the dancing girl in the passenger seat of the black BMW. The blonde shrank just a bit in her own seat, wanting to disappear because of the embarrassment.

"Akko, people are looking at us!" Diana yelled in an attempt to calm her girlfriend, but was only met with a shrug and a smirk as the brunette seemed to dance even crazier now. This left the blonde suspicious that her girlfriend might be trying to embarrass her on purpose.

A black and yellow sports car pulled up on the other side of them. It was full of girls around their own age it seemed. Of the four, two girls were dancing just as animatedly as Akko was, both in the front. The driver was a well built girl with yellow hair, hair that resembled fire in a way. The yellow haired girl looked over with lilac eyes and winked when she noticed the blonde staring at them while they danced. Diana immediately turned her head and looked forward with a blush, but Akko rolled down her window and waved at the girl, much to the blonde's dismay. Now that the window was down, it was apparent that both cars were playing the same song. Diana chanced another glance to her left and saw the other dancing girl in the car's passenger seat, a smaller girl with short dark brown hair and red tips with sparkling silver eyes. She waved back at Akko happily as all three of them began to sing loudly when the chorus started. The blonde's gaze moved to the two girls in the back seat, who were faring about as well as Diana was. The one with unique, but beautiful white flowing hair was pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, while the other girl with black hair and a large black bow held a book up over her face, no doubt shielding her face from the world in embarrassment.

The light turned green and with an exaggerated salute in Diana's direction, the yellow haired girl mashed the gas and sped away, the smaller silver eyed girl in the passenger seat was looking back at the embarrassed girls behind her and laughed cheerfully at their expense. The blonde's BMW slowly accelerated as the song ended and Akko turned the volume down as the next song began.

"They seemed fun." The brunette said happily as they watched the black and yellow car disappear in the distance.

"They were...something." Diana replied hesitantly.

"Oh come on Diana, you should have dance with us! Where's the lap dance girl from the other night? You're never gonna see these people again anyway."

"You don't know that."

"Yooou knoow yooou waaant toooo." Akko sang, but when her girlfriend didn't respond, the brunette crossed her arms and huffed. She sat silently for a few moments, devising a plan. When her eyes locked onto Diana's phone, she became curious at what kind of music was on there. She honestly didn't know what kind of music the blonde even enjoyed. She reached out and grabbed Diana's phone and swiped it open.

"What on earth are you doing?" The blonde exclaimed as she tried to grab the phone out of her girlfriend's clutches without running the car off the road.

"Relax, I'm just looking through your music." Akko said as she giggled, now turned away from Diana.

The brunette began scrolling through the huge list of songs, ranging from rock to opera to hip hop to pop. Every genre Akko could imagine was on this phone. But one song stood out among the rest. The brunette's eyes went wide as she turned slowly to face her girlfriend.

"What?" Diana asked with furrowed eyebrows.

Akko only giggled in response as she connected the phone to the radio and clicked on the chosen song. When laughing came from the speakers, Diana cringed internally.

"Oh God." The blonde face palmed as her girlfriend began singing along.

 _Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want_

 _So tell me what you want, what you really, really want_

"You listen to the Spice Girls!" Akko gleefully shouted and doubled over in laughter before she continued to sing.

 _I wanna, (ha) I wanna,_ _(ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha)_

 _I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah_

"It was a phase." Diana groaned loudly as the girl next to her continued to laugh. Akko was apparently no stranger to the song as she knew every word. And although she was sure she was being teased for her younger self's music taste, the blonde couldn't help but smile warmly at the antics of her girlfriend.

"I would have liked to meet the Diana during that phase." Akko smirked as Diana just rolled her eyes at that. The brunette then leaned over as close as she could to the blonde. "I know you know the words."

Diana looked away as the chorus began and sighed. Of course she knew the words. She was ashamed to admit that she knew every single word to this song. She began mouthing the words and bobbing her head when the temptation was too strong. Akko smiled brilliantly when she noticed the change and the blonde pushed her away playfully before she began to actually sing along with the brunette. How did Akko always do this to her? Why was it so easy to lose her inhibitions around this girl? It was as if Akko was the source of an addiction, a drug that allowed her to feel free. She couldn't get enough, and she never never wanted this high to end.

Before she knew it, Diana, CEO of Cavendish Medical, was dancing and laughing with her girlfriend as she drove. It was just the two of them now without a care in the world. In the moments before her favorite part of the song, she took the time to look over at Akko and smiled when she saw the brunette's small pony tail bobbing from side to side as she danced. The blonde took a deep breath when the moment came.

 _So, here's a story from A to Z_

 _You wanna get with me, you gotta listen carefully_

Akko's head turned so fast she could have given herself whiplash and her jaw dropped at the sight of her usually poised and reserved girlfriend rapping along with the freestyle portion of the song without missing as much as a single word.

 _We got Em in the place who likes it in your face_

 _You got G like MC who likes it on a_

 _Easy V doesn't come for free, she's a real lady_

 _And as for_ _me_ _, ha you'll see._

Diana had noticed her girlfriend staring at her in shock. She might have been a little more animated than usual because of her audience, and decided to wink at the brunette on the last line. Akko giggled uncontrollably as the blonde chuckled and continued to sing.

 _If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends_

 _Make it last forever, friendship never ends_

As the song was nearing the end, neither girl was able to sing through their uncontrollable laughter. Diana had tears forming in her eyes from laughter for the first time in a long, long time. Akko was holding her stomach and gasping for breath as the music died out for just a few seconds before a slow song came through the speakers. She reached out and turned the volume down before speaking.

"It's official, you're as much of a dork as I am."

"I don't believe I'm quite at your level of dork, Akko." Diana smirked.

"Hey!" Akko huffed and crossed her arms in a pout, but couldn't get herself to erase the goofy smile that was now a permanent fixture on her face.

The BMW pulled up to the curb at the airport terminal and stopped. Akko saw a couple of her teammates walking through the doors, and saw more just inside in a big group. Chariot stood with them, clipboard in hand. As excited as she was to go to France, she found herself not wanting to get out of the car. She felt a hand take her own and looked over to see Diana bring the hand to her lips and kiss the knuckles softly. The sensation nearly melted the brunette's heart, the warmth and adoration in the eyes looking back at her made getting out of the car a hundred times harder.

"You're going to be late." Diana said as she pulled Akko's hand away from her lips.

"Yeah, I should probably go." The brunette replied, but she didn't move. Her girlfriend raised an eyebrow at her in amusement before laughing softly.

"You're going to have a great time, Akko. I'll be right here when you get back." Diana gently grabbed Akko's chin and tugged until the brunette was now facing her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Akko said softly before leaning in placing a chaste kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

"Now go before Chariot yells at me for keeping you."

The brunette giggled and nodded as she opened the door and slid out. She grabbed her bags from the backseat and waved at Diana before walking through the automatic doors into the airport to join her team.

"Hey, there's our brave captain! Thought you were gonna miss the flight because you wouldn't be able to stop making out with Cavendish."

"Amandaaa!" Akko whined as she approached the team and put her bags down. "We weren't making out."

"Uh huh. Sure." Amanda smirked.

That was when she noticed the knowing looks from all of her teammates who she had not seen since the party. This was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

Later that night, Diana sat at her desk buried in a mountain of paperwork. She answered emails, reviewed reports, and signed documents, all the work she'd been putting off since she returned from Germany. After clicking send on yet another email from one of her board members, she leaned back in her chair and tried rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes while letting out a long sigh. She then heard her bedroom door open softly behind her and turned to see Hannah entering the room with a teacup in each hand.

"I thought you could use a little pick me up."

"Yes. Thank you, Hannah. I really appreciate it." Diana said tiredly as she took the teacup and saucer from her friend.

"That bad huh? You sound like about to fall asleep." Hannah smiled and sat down on the blonde's bed with her own tea and crossed her legs.

"The work is not overly complicated, just tedious." Diana took a long sip of her tea and hummed in approval before continuing. "And I'm finding it hard to focus on anything at the moment."

"Anything but Akko you mean?" The auburn haired girl smirked, eyes full of mirth over the top of her cup as she took a sip.

"Actually, yes. She seems to be the only thing on my mind these days."

"Oh." Hannah wasn't expecting such an honest answer. Either Diana was very tired, or she was finally opening up. She hoped it was the latter. "You already miss her that much, huh? You know it hasn't even been a day right?" Hannah joked, trying to keep the mood light.

"Really?" Diana replied flatly with her eyebrows raised. "You've been moping around all day since Amanda left."

Hannah opened her mouth to reply but couldn't find the words. Had it really been that noticeable? In the end, she just sighed before she spoke softly.

"We've got it pretty bad for those dunces don't we."

"Yes. We do." Diana chuckled and took another sip of her tea before silence fell over them for what seemed like a long time.

"Why don't we go to France?" Hannah said suddenly and smiled hopefully at her friend who looked back at her in surprise.

"What?"

"We could surprise them! That's like, your thing right?"

"Hannah," Diana chuckled in exasperation as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm afraid I have too much work to complete. And I doubt we could get there before their game anyway."

"Don't you have a private jet now?" Hannah asked with a tilt of her head.

"...Yes, but-"

"And you have a laptop. You could do your work while we're traveling."

Diana stared at her friend in contemplation as she leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about going to France, especially after the surprisingly sad goodbyes she and Akko had shared at the airport. But it seemed her friend had grown just as attached to Amanda as she was to Akko. Hannah stared back at her, the hopeful expression on her face never faltered.

"What about Barb? We can't just leave her here." Diana wasn't sure why she was pretending to fight this, she had already made up her mind.

"Oh, she's going on a date tomorrow."

"A date?" The blonde's eyebrows shot up. "With who?"

"Jenni-" Hannah slapped her hand over her mouth at the slip up.

"Jennifer?" Diana eyes went wide. "I didn't know she was..." She trailed off and remembered the party, how Barbara couldn't seem to stop gushing about Jennifer. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"I don't think she's particularly comfortable with herself enough yet. She wanted to see how this went before she told you." Hannah shrugged, guilt present in her voice.

"I see. Well, I can wait until she's ready." Diana's thoughtful expression turned into amusement. "And it's a good thing we'll be gone tomorrow to give them a little alone time."

Hannah looked up quickly.

"Does that mean we're going to France?!" She all but screamed.

"Why not?" Diana shrugged nonchalantly.

The auburn haired girl jumped off of the bed and slammed into the blonde in a bone crushing hug, almost tipping the chair over.

* * *

Chariot sat alone in the coach's office in the lavish locker room of the stadium usually reserved for the French National hockey team, her former team. These quarters held some of the best and worst memories of her entire life. The last time she was in this very room, she was sitting on the other side of the desk, telling her coach that she was quitting the team, quitting the sport all together. She was humiliated and furious and her outburst was heard by anyone in the vicinity. She had hurt a lot of people that day. She was now on the other side of that desk, lost in the memories, and terrified of walking out onto that field and facing the woman who had ruined her career. And who she believed ruined her life until an overly energetic brunette came into her life and convinced her that her life was not over. She was thankful for what Akko did, of course, but becoming Chariot again was one of the scariest things she's ever had to deal with. She looked down at the papers in front of her and tried to lose herself in plays and strategy before she completely broke down.

' _Knock knock'_

Chariot looked up to the door and saw her fiance poking her head in hesitantly. When the redhead smiled and looked somewhat relieved, the woman entered fully and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, beautiful. How are you feeling?" Croix asked as she sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.

"I feel like crying. And like I'm going to be sick. Other than that I'm fine." Chariot joked, well, it was true, but she needed to put on a brave face. Of course the lilac haired woman in front of her would see right through mask like she always had a knack for.

"Do you want me to punch her in the face?" Croix's face was completely serious but Chariot couldn't help but laugh and ball up a spare piece of paper to throw at her fiance.

"As much as I'd love to see that, I don't think that would end well for you. But thank you for the offer." The redhead smiled warmly at the woman in front of her. Just having Croix here with her relaxed her immensely. "I wish you could be next to me on the field. I'm not as nervous with you around."

"I'll be on the first row. I may not be on the field with you, but I'll be behind you, supporting you the whole time." Croix reached across the desk and squeezed Chariot's hand in reassurance. "And if that bitch tries anything, I will be the first over the wall to help you kick her ass."

The redhead sighed and bowed her head.

"How do you go from loving and supportive fiance to angry teenager so quickly, Croix?"

"It's a gift. What can I say?" Croix leaned back and winked at Chariot when she looked up, unimpressed. "You'll be fine, Chariot. You have a bunch of great kids behind you. You'll have me behind you."

Chariot smiled again and was about to speak before an alarm sounded from her phone. She picked it up and dismissed the notification and stood up.

"I guess it's time." The redhead said with a deep breath and walked around the desk and enveloped Croix in a hug after she stood up as well. "Thank you, Croix."

"It was nothing, my love. You and your team are going to do great."

After a nod and a quick kiss, Chariot exited the coach's office and made her way to where her team gathered. The redhead smiled when she caught the last half of an inspiring speech from the team captain. Akko always did have a flair for the dramatic, and in many ways reminded her of herself. This girl was going places.

"Alright ladies! Let's go kick some ass, shall we?" Chariot yelled, surprising the team who hadn't known she was standing there. She was met with loud cheers and shuffling of feet as the team began to clear out of the locker room into the hallway leading to the field. The older redhead followed.

Once on the field, the team split up into groups. They did various stretches and warm up drills, simply keeping active until the game started. The referees made their way to the middle of the field and one blew a whistle, urging the coaches and captains to meet as per the rules. Akko and Chariot were the first to arrive and introduced themselves to the referees before noticing a woman and a girl walking up to them, clearly taking their sweet time. The coach of the French team had a smug look on her face as they stopped in front of the group.

"Well well well. I didn't think I'd ever see the day you'd show your face here again, Chariot."

"Hello, Gabriel." Chariot greeted irritably, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. "So nice to see you again."

"I wish I could say the same." Gabriel waved dismissively and turned her attention to the referees.

Chariot balled her hands into fists at her sides. Akko was confused at the exchange but when she notice her coach go rigid, she put a hand on the older redhead's shoulder and smiled.

"We got you coach. Don't worry." The brunette said confidently.

Chariot relaxed a bit with action, enough that she was able to listen to what they were being told by the officials.

After reassuring her coach, Akko turned her attention to the captain of the other team who was standing in front of her. She was slightly taller than Akko with long blonde hair pulled back in to a ponytail, her bangs held back with a headband. This girl was just staring at her. Staring at her very intensely in fact. The brunette shifted uncomfortably on her feet and looked away, hoping that her disinterest was enough to bore the girl enough to focus her attention on something else. But as she tried to focus on meeting that was happening between their coaches and the refs, she could feel the girl's gaze on her. Was this an intimidation thing? 'Maybe I should just introduce myself and act friendly. Show that I'm not intimidated.' She debated internally as the meeting ended and the referees walked away.

"Good luck, Chariot. You're going to need it." Gabriel said and without a handshake or another word, she turned and walked toward the French team's sideline.

Chariot turned away and mumbled angrily under her breath, leaving Akko and the other team's captain alone in the middle of the field.

"Well that was interesting. Huh?" Akko laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Indeed." The girl spoke for the first time, although Akko doubted the girl was even paying attention to the tension between their coaches at all.

"I'm...uh...Akko. Akko Kagari." The brunette held out her hand for the other girl to take.

The blonde girl in front of her looked down at the hand for just a moment before locking eyes with Akko once more.

"Claudine." She stated simply as she reached out and shook Akko's hand. "It's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Akko. You have quite the reputation."

"A...a reputation?" The brunette asked, voice an octave higher as she noticed the handshake lasting a bit longer than normal.

"Although I can already see that part of that reputation is well deserved," Claudine smirked as she gave Akko's body a once over, making the brunette visibly gulp. "I am looking forward to finding out if the rest is deserved as well."

"Y-yeah, I...uh...yeah. G-good luck." Akko pulled her hand away forcefully and turned around as quickly as she could. It took everything she had to not sprint away from this girl as fast as she could. She made the mistake of looking back as she walked and saw that Claudine was still watching her with that same cocky smile. The brunette jerked her head forward again and walked a little more quickly to the bench.

* * *

A sleek black limo slowed to a stop in front of the stadium. The many people walking toward the entrance paused in curiosity, wondering who could possibly be arriving to a hockey game in a limo. A well dress limo driver exited the vehicle and walked around to open the door for the occupants in the back. First an auburn haired girl slid out, followed by a tall blonde.

"I can't believe you convinced me to take a limo." Diana grumbled to her friend as she looked around at all the staring people.

"It was a great idea. Let's go." Hannah linked their arms and led the blonde toward the gate leading into the stadium. She waved and smiled at the people staring at them curiously, loving the attention the limo brought.

They found some open seats down toward the Luna Nova bench and sat, waiting to see the teams come out. Both girls had their phones out, Diana checking emails for work, and Hannah checking one of her social media accounts. The blonde was so wrapped up in replying to an email to notice that someone had sat down right next to her. She pressed send and leaned to the side to put her phone back in her pocket when her shoulder bumped the person next to her.

"Oh! My...apologies." Diana stared at the older Japanese woman next to her. 'Oh god.' She thought when she saw that familiar mischievous smile. "Hello, Mrs. Kagari. This is...a surprise. Akko didn't tell me you'd be here."

"Hello, Diana. Nice to see you again as well." Akemi arched an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Oh. I-I wasn't intending to be rude. O-of course it's very nice to see you again." Diana nervously sputtered out. She internally slapped herself for letting this small woman make her so nervous.

"Oh relax, I'm just teasing you." Akemi chuckled in amusement before continuing. "We weren't sure if we were going to make it so we waited until this morning to tell her. But she did not mention that you would be attending. Are you trying to avoid your future in-laws, Diana?"

The blonde opened and closed her mouth a few times, unable to speak. But luckily, or unluckily, Hannah was there next to her listening to this whole conversation and watching her acting like a complete fool.

"Did she just say future in-laws?" The auburn haired girl looked at Diana in complete surprise. "Is there something you need to tell me, Diana?"

"Hannah..." The blonde pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in utter defeat. She wasn't prepared to deal with this today.

"Oh, does that mean you're Akko's parents?" Hannah asked, leaning over to see the older man and woman.

"Yes, Hannah, this is Akemi and Haruto Kagari." Diana introduced them without much enthusiasm.

"And you're future in-" Hannah began, grinning in amusement.

"And," The blonde cut her friend off loudly and turned to Akko's parents. "This is Hannah England, one of my closest friends."

"Ooh, can I be your maid of honor, Diana?" Hannah suddenly squeaked out happily.

"Oh for the love of..." Diana clenched her jaw and breathed deeply through her nose. "No one is getting married, Hannah."

"Yet." Akemi mumbled next to the blonde, making said blonde bury her face in her hands.

"Stop teasing the girl, Akemi." Haruto spoke for the first time since they sat down. Although he was telling his wife to stop, the tone in which he said it gave away that the banter had been entertaining him.

"Oh, here they come!" Hannah said as she tapped Diana on the shoulder.

The blonde uncovered her face and saw the girls in familiar red and white uniforms run onto the field. She was filled with relief that the three people sitting with her now had something else to focus their attention on. Akko was the last player to run onto the field followed by Chariot. Diana's eyes never left her girlfriend as she stretched and warmed up. A referee blew a whistle at midfield and Akko stopped what she was doing and joined Chariot for some sort of meeting. And even from where the four of them sat, Diana could tell that there was tension between the coaches. But what caught the blonde's eye was the player from the other team looking Akko up and down as the coaches talked. Looking at _her_ girlfriend. Diana leaned forward and clenched the seat below her tightly with her fingers. She watch the scene closely. She could see Akko shift on her feet and concluded that the girl was making her uncomfortable. She didn't know if she should be relieved that Akko wasn't liking the attention, or angry that this brash girl was making the brunette uncomfortable. When the referees and coaches dispersed, Diana noticed that Akko was beginning to talk to the girl and held out her hand, and the Diana allowed a small smile to replace to glare. Of course Akko would be kind, she was kind to everyone. Even a rival. But when the girl took the brunette's hand and looked her up and down once more, the glare returned. She wanted to yell something, to jump over the wall and punch that girl in the face.

Suddenly Diana felt an a hand on her shoulder and looked to her left. Akemi was glaring daggers at the girl shaking Akko's hand for too long on the field as well. Diana wasn't sure if the hand on her shoulder was for her comfort or Akemi's. But the blonde knew one thing. She never wanted to be on the other side of that glare. When she looked back to the field, Akko had turned and began to walk away quickly, all the while the blonde on the field watched her go with a smug smile. The nerve of that girl.

* * *

Akko quickly walked toward where her team was huddled on the sideline when her eyes wandered up to the large crowd behind their bench. She stopped in her tracks when she saw four familiar faces, two she wasn't expecting. A large smile grew on her face and she waved at them excitedly but only her father waved back. Her smile turned into a frown and she furrowed her brows when she noticed that the three women looked very unhappy. They were all glaring...at her? Why would they…? Akko turned around and saw Claudine walking back to her own sideline, swaying her hips as she went.

"Oooh. Well, shit." She mumbled to herself. She was going to have fun explaining _that_ to her girlfriend later. Her girlfriend. Diana was here. She turned back around and locked eyes with the blonde, who had snapped out of the turmoil she must have been feeling and was now smiling warmly. Akko waved excitedly again and this time, Diana reciprocated. The brunette began walking again and joined the huddle.

After a short meeting, the players all took the field in their positions. Akko and Amanda shared their pregame ritual of the complicated secret handshake and split off. The brunette walked to midfield where Claudine was waiting for her. Of course it'd be her she'd be facing off with. Time to wipe that smug smile off of her face.

"We meet again, miss Kagari." Claudine smirked and nodded to the referee when he placed the ball in front of her and turned back to Akko with an arched brow. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's do this."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 _Things Never Go As Planned_

Amanda took her place on the far side of the field to Akko's right. She twisted her stick back and forth, warming up her wrists for the battle ahead. As she approached, she sized up the opponent she'd be defending against, and who would be defending against her. She remembered the girl from scouting the French team's last couple recorded games and oddly enough, she was the best player on their team. Not that Amanda O'Neill would ever back down from such a challenge, but she was thoroughly surprised that this girl wasn't lined up with Akko in the middle of the field. That's one decision the French team would pay for, surely. Akko was going to run circles around that poor blonde girl. The redhead stopped a few feet away from her tall brunette opponent, facing her fully. The girl was beautiful if she was being honest. Her long brunette locks were held back in a low ponytail and the left side of her bangs seemed to be held back with a pair of crossed bobby pins.

To Amanda's annoyance, the girl hadn't even noticed her in the slightest. She was intently staring at the exchange of conversation by the pair in the middle of the field. The redhead turned her gaze as well to see what could be more interesting than herself, but only saw Akko and her blonde opponent. Amanda did notice the odd interaction between the two earlier and now was really no different. The French blonde was clearly into Akko. _'Ooooh'_ she thought as she turned and smirked at her brunette opponent. _'She's jealous. This could be fun'._ Now what Amanda lacked in hockey skills, she more than made up for in shit talking and being an annoyance overall.

"What? You afraid Akko is gonna still your girl?" Amanda said loud enough to snap the tall brunette out of her trance.

The girl turned her cold stare to the redhead now and tilted her head questioningly.

"Yeah, she has a thing for blondes." Amanda said as she shrugged and flashed a wolfish grin. "And it would seem the blondes are into her too. Am I right?"

For a millisecond, Amanda swore she saw a flash of disdain in those bright purple eyes. But her expression turned to stone once more, and much to the redhead's irritation, the brunette turned away from her and had the audacity to look bored.

"Look...uh...what's your name again? M...egan? M...arcy?M..." Amanda narrowed her eyes as if she was truly trying to solve this name puzzle. She wasn't, though. She knew this girl's name. But this is what gave her the reaction she was looking for. That reaction being a death glare that could rival Diana's. It was unnerving to say the least. _'_ _Ah. Mightier than thou syndrome. Good to know.'_ Amanda made an internal note for her future endeavors. It was likely they'd see each other again.

"Maya." The girl said more calmly than Amanda would have liked. "And for your information, I am not worried. Because as good as your friend is rumored to be, I will always be a step ahead. And my Claudine would never be interested in anything but the best." Maya smirked confidently to further accentuate her smug statement.

"Sure, whatever you say hot shit." Amanda rolled her eyes and looked back to the center of the field, seeing the referee place the ball down. "We'll see how you feel after we kick your ass."

"I assume I will feel much the same. As that is very unlikely." Maya turned and began walking toward Claudine, seeing as the game was ready to begin. "Good luck. You're going to need it." She called out as she went, not looking back at the redhead.

"Bitch." Amanda grumbled to herself as she moved closer to Akko, never taking her eyes off of Maya.

A whistle blew and Claudine immediately passed the ball behind her to Maya who had began sprinting across the field. The quick start surprised Amanda and she struggled to catch up to the fast brunette who had already turned and was running down field, expertly handling the ball.

"Shit." The redhead hissed to herself. She growled as she willed her legs to move faster and finally was able to catch up and place herself between Maya and the goal.

The tall brunette grinned when she noticed Amanda in front of her now. She faked like she was about to go left, effectively baiting the redhead to lean that way before she changed directions at the last second and went right. It seemed that none of the other Luna Nova defenders had better luck and before she knew it, Amanda saw the ball pass by Jasminka's left leg and hit the back of the net. The French team cheered and each player took a turn to give their captain high fives as the brunette jogged back to the center of the field.

"Damn it!" Amanda yelled, seething as she locked eyes with Maya, who winked at her with that infuriating smirk on her face. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to see Akko standing there.

"Amanda." The brunette leaned in closer. "Dizzy."

The redhead, took a took a deep breath and grinned at her captain. Dizzy was play they had come up with for when they needed a quick goal. It was only effective about once in a game, twice at the most. But after that abysmal start, they needed something big.

Akko took her place at point and the ball was set in front of her. She looked to her left and then to her right to make sure her team was set up before she looked at the defense. They were set up much the same as before and the brunette easily mapped out the route she was about to take. The ref blew the whistle and Akko passed the ball quickly to Amanda and half the team sprinted down the field. She could see the looks of confusion on the French girl's faces at the unorthodox play unfolding, and she could almost feel Claudine right on her heels. Akko looked over to see Amanda switch directions and she followed. They were now running full sprint at each other until Amanda pushed the ball to the side at the last second allowing Akko to easily take it with her as they passed each other. Maya and Claudine nearly ran into each other as they were forced to side step quickly out of each other's way, but the hesitation was enough to allow Akko a clear view of the goal, save for a few defenders who the brunette easily passed with her speed. She took a shot at the goal and the ball passed by the goalie easily, scoring a point and tying the game. Akko threw her hands and stick in the air in celebration as she ran back to the middle of the field. Her team joined in as always and she was met with hugs and high fives. Cheers and whistles came from the small group in the seats behind Luna Nova's bench. The brunette looked over in time to see Diana standing and clapping excitedly with a brilliant smile on her face. Shock set in, though, when the Diana and Akemi high fived each other, with both hands no less. The sight made Akko giggle as she jogged the rest of the way to midfield.

The game slowed considerably as the first half went on, neither team being able to keep up the blistering pace they set at the beginning. Akko and Amanda had switched positions about half way through the half, and Akko and Maya seemed to be nearly evenly matched. Amanda and Claudine were evenly matched as well, making any progress hard to come by for either team. To the brunette and redhead's surprise, Maya and Claudine were enjoying the competition, reveling in the chance to prove themselves against formidable opponents for once. Amanda was surprised to see a genuine smile on Maya's face at many points, and Akko couldn't believe it when Claudine had chuckled when the a horn was blown, signaling the end of the first half. The score was tied at two goals each.

"My my. It seems your reputation is indeed well deserved, Akko." The blonde breathed out as stopped next to Akko, her hands behind her head as she struggled to get oxygen. "Bravo magnifique." With a wink, Claudine sauntered away, following her teammates toward the French bench.

"Uh...yeah. You too!" Akko shouted through labored breaths. "...I think?"

During the short halftime period, Chariot gave her players the usual bits of advice and praise as everyone hydrated quickly. The coach was obviously quite proud of her players and seemed relieved that all was going to plan. Part of her was feeling a little silly that she was so nervous, but another part of her was still wary of the French coach on the opposite side of the field. Every time she caught Gabriel looking at her, it would send chills up her spine. And right now as her team took the field once more, the French coach was in deep conversation with the head referee. It was normal for a coach to speak to the officials, but she was no ordinary person. Gabriel would do anything to come out on top. Even ruin someone's life. So this seemingly innocent conversation sent alarms blaring in the back of Chariot's mind.

The whistle blew and the second half of the match started. Almost immediately, Chariot's fears began to come to fruition. On the very first play of the game, Akko controlled the ball and Maya was only a few feet away watching intently and planning her next move. The taller brunette finally jolted forward to try to still the ball away and for a brief second, their shoulders made contact and the whistle blew. Both Akko and Maya froze in shock as they looked at the referee in confusion as he gestured toward Akko and held up a green warning card. A foul.

"What?!" Akko said mostly to herself. She looked to her right where Maya stood and saw genuine confusion in her expression as well.

As the minutes wore on, Akko and Amanda were both call for various fouls. Amanda was the more physical player out of the two and earned herself a few five minute suspensions, albeit unfairly. Claudine was just as flabbergasted as Maya had been as the penalties seemed to spiral out of control. If anyone on Luna Nova's team so much as touched a French player, they would be reprimanded.

Chariot seemed to have frozen completely on the sideline as she heard whistle after whistle. Flashbacks of the game that had compelled the rumors to begin spreading filled her mind. The game where Gabriel had pretended to defend her when people began questioning Chariot about cheating and paying off the referees. They had later found out from reliable sources that it had, in fact been Gabriel who had paid off the referees and it had been her to begin the rumors of Chariot's possible involvement. In the end, Gabriel had the money to make it all go away. But it was happening again at this very moment, to her players. This was her fault. If she would have stuck with her alternate persona, her team wouldn't be involved in the feud. They were suffering the consequences of her past. She was paralyzed when she locked eyes with the French coach across the field, seeing a knowing smile on her face. The expression she's seen too many times before. The expression that shouted 'I win'. Her hands began to shake as she balled them into fists. She turned around and found Croix right behind her in the first row with a look of utter hatred as she had also seen the smug smile on Gabriel's face. Snapping out of it quickly, Croix looked down at Chariot with eyes full of concern. That's when she heard it, a pained yell rang out in the otherwise quiet stadium. Chariot spun around to find the source, and when she did, her heart shattered. If the world around her hadn't fallen apart already, this was surely what was going to finally break her.

* * *

Diana's hands were gripped tightly together as she leaned forward in her seat, watching the dubious event's occur on the field. She hadn't been interested in hockey in a rather long time, but even she could tell that something was very wrong. Foul after foul was called for no reason that she could see, and along with the players, the crowd was growing more frustrated as every minute passed. Whispers and murmurs grew louder around her after the whistle blew yet again, eliciting a groan from the blonde as she covered her face with her hands.

"I may not be an expert, but that didn't seem like a foul to me." Hannah whispered into Diana's ear in confusion.

"It wasn't." The blonde looked up in irritation. "Something's wrong." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before she glanced to the person on the other side of her. Akemi bounced her knee up and down as she watched, biting her nails in the process. Haruto was expressionless and sat completely still next to his wife. Neither of them seemed to be faring any better than she was at the moment.

Watching Akko grow more frustrated on the field was slowly breaking her heart. She knew how hard her girlfriend worked to get here. She knew how passionate the brunette was about this sport. It was her life. And to see this game being ripped away from her slowly because of a few incompetent or corrupted officials made her feel physically ill. She crossed one leg over the other and took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down before her gaze lifted to the field once more. Just in time to hear someone scream in pain. Immediately she knew exactly who it was, and the sound made her blood run cold. She stood up out of her chair when she saw the girl rolling around on the field in agony and put her hands up to cover her mouth.

"Akko." Diana whimpered as tears began pool in the corners of her eyes.

* * *

Akko stole the ball as it was being passed and Maya was immediately there to cut her off and block the opening she had seen. Switching directions and slowing down, her eyes flitted between her teammates, looking for someone open to pass it to, looking for any opening she might be able to take advantage of to get closer to the goal. She saw none, and cursed internally. This game had been the most frustrating one she's ever played in. The most frustrating part was the referees who had more than questionable morals as she had come to find out. And there was nothing she could do about it. But even with the terrible calls and many, many fouls, Luna Nova was only down by one goal. Just one goal. They have overcome steeper obstacles many times before, and only that thought was driving her now. They could do this. She could do this. She believed in herself and her team.

Akko made the decision to dribble the ball to her right, trying to catch Maya off guard with the sudden move. And although it did surprise the defender, Akko wasn't quick enough. Maya's outstretched stick hit the ball at an odd angle and it flew through the air and out of bounds. The shorter brunette jogged to retrieve the ball as Maya set up in her defensive stance.

"Maya. Claudine." Akko heard the French couch call out. Curiously she watched Maya and Claudine look at each other in confusion before jogging off the field to speak to their coach and were replaced by players that Akko had never seen before. They hadn't played yet in this game, which means they were most likely not the best talent they had, although Akko hated to underestimate anyone. But the decision to pull the French team's best two players in the crucial final minutes of the game boggled the brunette's mind.

Shaking her head to get her mind back into the game, Akko hit the ball into play and began running downfield as girl who substituted for Maya followed closely. The ball was intercepted moments later and Akko fell back on defense. The girl she was matched up with received a pass and dribbled the ball slowly toward the sidelines and Akko followed. Oddly, the girl never made a move forward. It seemed that she was waiting for the brunette to make the first move. Akko's gaze flitted between the girl's eyes and the ball that was being hit back and forth with the girl's stick. But before Akko could make a move, she heard a whistle blow. She turned to find a livid Amanda jabbing at a French player's chest as she said something angrily through grit teeth. She wasn't able to dwell on the confrontation much longer as she suddenly felt something hit her ankle hard. She unconsciously let out a pained scream as the searing pain traveled down her foot and up her leg until her leg buckled and she was forced to fall to her knees. She grabbed her hurting ankle with her hand as she fell onto her side before rolling onto her back. Akko's jaw was tense and her eyes shut tightly, and tears were steadily streaming down her face now.

"Akko!" She heard someone yell, it sounded like Amanda.

Opening her eyes to see the small group gathered around her in concern, she locked eyes with the girl she had been defending against. Her expression was indiscernible at first, but to Akko's horror, a smirk formed on her face for only a second before she turned around and walked away toward the French sidelines. Suddenly Amanda was there by her side in shock.

"Fuck, Akko. Are you okay?" The redhead said through heavy breaths.

Akko opened her mouth to speak but another bout of pain shot up her leg and she immediately clenched her jaw once more. She nodded to let her friend know that she would be okay before two men made their way through the now large circle of girls.

"We're going to help you back to the locker room so we can take a look at that ankle. Is that alright?" The first man said as he knelt down and held a hand out for her to take.

Again, Akko just nodded and took the man's hand to help her sit up. The other man knelt down on the other side of her and she put her arms around each of their necks. They helped her stand up easily but without thinking, she put weight on her injured ankle and let out a pained growl. The men all but carried her off the field. As they went, the first person she saw was Chariot. Her coach, who had become like a sister to her if she was being honest, hadn't moved an inch. She was staring at the ground in shock, refusing to even look at Akko as they passed. Then she looked up into the stands where she found Diana, her hands held tightly to her chest and she was biting her lip, clearly very worried. Next to the blonde, Akko's mother had her hands over her mouth still, her eyes wide as they followed every step she and the men holding her took. Before she was out of view, Diana had begun to quickly walk toward the exit, her parents following right behind her.

When Akko arrived back to the locker room, one of the men urged her to sit down on the bed in the small medical area in the corner of the large room. She did as she was told and sat down, arm still around the other medic's shoulders for stability. Her shoe and sock were taken off cautiously, but when they were both removed, Akko could already tell that it was bad. Her ankle was swollen and dark bruising had already formed.

"Well, just looking at it, I'm fairly confident that your ankle is fractured. We need to get you to a hospital for an x-ray." The man stated as he slowly set her ankle on the bed to keep in elevated. He looked at his watch and turned to the other medic. "The game should be ending right about now. Let her coach know to get in here as soon as possible."

The other man nodded and hurried out the door, but before it could close all the way, Diana popped her head in and looked around until her eyes met Akko's.

"Akko are you okay?" She asked as she crossed the room in a flash and sat down on the bed next to her girlfriend. The medic looked as if he was about to protest but the glare sent his way by the blonde made him choose to do otherwise.

"I'll give you two a minute." He said as he stood up and awkwardly made his way out of the locker room, leaving them in silence.

Diana suddenly heard a sniffle come from Akko and just noticed that tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"Akko, is it serious? Do you need pain medication? I'm sur-" The blonde started as she looked around the small area for any kind of pill bottles before she was cut off.

"It's not that." The brunette said softly as her voice cracked. She brought her hands up and wiped away her tears, unfortunately they were replaced by more almost immediately. "We lost, didn't we."

Diana bit her lip and looked away before reluctantly answering.

"Yes. The score was five to three. I'm really sorry, Akko."

When she didn't get a response from the brunette, the blonde looked over to see her girlfriend staring at nothing in particular on the floor in front of her. The tears hadn't stopped but they had slowed significantly.

"How did this happen?" Akko whispered, more to herself than to Diana.

The blonde thought she knew the answer anyway. It didn't take a genius to figure out that someone on the French side had somehow convinced the referees to make calls in their favor, most likely they paid them off. She had to wonder though, how high the corruption went? How did they plan to get away with something so blatantly obvious? But Akko's injury, was that part of the plan? No one could be that cruel right? She reached out and took her girlfriend's hand in her own and began rubbing her knuckles, trying to comfort her in any way.

"We were never going to win that game. Not with the referees on their side." The brunette gripped the bed sheet tightly as she grew angry. "And she broke my fucking ankle anyway."

"You...think it was on purpose?" Diana asked with her eyebrows raised.

"I really do. She...the look she had..." Akko shook her head and sighed. She honestly didn't know what to think. Today had been a nightmare. She had never imagined the possibility of them even losing, let alone the rest of the events that transpired. This was their year. This was her year. When she noticed she hadn't gotten a response from her girlfriend, she turned her head and raised her eyebrows at the now seething blonde. Akko just realized how hard Diana was squeezing her hand, almost to the point of pain but not quite. Her eyes were trained on the wall opposite of them as if trying to burn a hole through it with her mind.

"Um...Diana?" Akko asked hesitantly.

"If you would excuse me, Akko," Diana said, her voice terrifyingly cold, as she stood up without looking at the brunette. "I need to have a word with whoever is in charge here." She let go of Akko's hand and began to walk toward the door.

"Uh..." The brunette raised her hand and tried to think of any words to stop her girlfriend. But she failed to get anything out before Diana disappeared into the hallway. "Please don't kill anyone." She mumbled to herself as silence overcame the room once more. Now with nothing else to concentrate on, the throbbing in her ankle seemed to increase. She tried breathing through it, which never worked really. Why did she even try?

A moment later the medic returned to the room, his expression was that of a kicked puppy. No doubt, he was the temporary target of a certain blonde's wrath if he was standing just outside of the locker room. The thought made Akko smile slightly for the first time since all of this chaos began. Behind him, her team began to trickle their way in, looks of sadness and anger written all over their faces until Amanda entered last. There was a whole different look her face.

"Amanda! What happened to you?" Akko asked in shock as she saw the blood trickling down from a swollen lip, and an eye that had already began to bruise.

"I punched the girl that hit you. Her teammates weren't too happy with me." The redhead's mischievous grin was contagious as most of her teammates smirked at the recent memory. Akko smiled at that as well, temporarily forgetting her despair and thankful for her friends who always look out for her. "So what's goin on with princess? She was on a rampage down the hall."

Akko chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck in response. In truth, she had no idea what was going through Diana's head but she almost felt bad for the person she was looking for.

"Your mom was in on it too. I don't think Hannah or your dad knew what to do when they were yelling at...that guy." Amanda pointed at the medic who hadn't spoken a word since returning. He was nervously rifling through a large bag full of medical supplies, choosing to ignore the comment.

"My mom went with Diana?" Akko asked in shock. _'Well, RIP to the man in charge'_.

The door to the locker room swung open and the medic that was supposed to have retrieved Chariot walk in breathlessly and approached the small medical area.

"Hey...uh...the coach is gone."

The medic that was now wrapping Akko's ankle in a bandage looked up with furrowed brows.

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"I've looked everywhere. She just gone!"

Akko and Amanda shared a look of disbelief. Chariot's gone?

"Akko, call her. I'll call Croix." The redhead said as she walked over to the brunette's locker to retrieve her phone and tossed it to Akko.

"Yeah, okay." The brunette replied. She found Chariot's number and pressed call.

Immediately they heard ringing coming from the coaches office. Amanda opened the door and saw her coach's phone on the desk, the woman whom it belonged to, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Well that doesn't help." The redhead said, disappointed. She pressed a button on her own phone and held it up to her ear and waited. When no one picked up on the other side, she let out a long sigh and looked around at the team who had been watching them. "Well, shit. What do we do now?"

"God this day sucks!" Akko whined as she flopped back onto the bed, bouncing her ankle painfully off of the bed in the process. "Ow."

* * *

Diana knocked three times on the door she had arrived at. After asking, more like interrogating if she was being honest, many people who worked there, eventually she had been pointed in this direction. She was standing in front of the makeshift office of Thomas Jones, commissioner of the league that was hosting the tournament. Akemi stood next to her bouncing on her heels. She had immediately joined Diana on her journey to find answers. The blonde had the suspicion that the older woman just wanted an excuse to take her anger out on anyone she could after watching her daughter get hurt on the field. And she didn't blame her at all. It seemed that Akemi could be just as, if not more intimidating than the blonde CEO, and that was saying something. The door opened and a shorter woman stood in the opening. Diana glanced into the room behind her and saw a gray haired man sitting at a desk engaged in a phone call.

"I need to speak with Mr. Jones." Diana stated authoritatively, making the woman take a small step back.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Jones is una-" The small woman started, but before she could finish, Diana brushed past her without caring about the answer she was being given. "Excuse me miss, you can't ju-" her protest was cut off once more as Akemi followed Diana in, shoving the woman's shoulder slightly for good measure.

The man, noticing their presence, arched an eyebrow at the women who had just barged into his office. His eyes found his assistant cowering by the door before he sighed.

"I apologize, I'm going to need to call you back." Mr. Jones said to whoever was on the other side of the call before he lowered it and set in on the desk in front of him. Leaning back in his chair, he clasped his hands together over his stomach before he began speaking.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

"Indeed." Diana sat down in one of the chairs across from the man and crossed her legs. "I want some answers."

"To which questions?" Mr. Jones furrowed his brows at the blonde.

"What will the repercussions be for the blatant cheating that transpired today?" Diana asked calmly, tilting her head as she waited for an answer.

"E-excuse me?" The older man scoffed. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You didn't watch the game, did you." The blonde said flatly. Of course he didn't watch. She rolled her eyes and looked at Akemi and motioned for her to take a seat next to her. The older woman did exactly that before Diana continued. "Mr. Jones, do you know who I am?" She arched an eyebrow at the man who shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Of course I do." He replied immediately. "Diana Cavendish."

"Correct. I'm a very powerful woman Mr. Jones."The blonde narrowed her eyes. "I can assure you that you are going to want to cooperate with me and the investigation that is going to happen. Can you do that?"

"Investigation? You can't be ser-"

"I am deadly serious, Mr. Jones." Diana spat out coldly. "Mark my word that I will do everything in my power to ruin your livelihood if you continue to let this corruption happen under your watch. And if you are involved, I will have you thrown in jail unless you come forward. Do you understand?" The blonde had slowly been leaning closer to the desk and her deadly glare grew darker as she spoke. The man in front of her visibly gulped and chose to respond by simply nodding his head. "Good answer." Diana leaned back in her chair once more and smirked. "You will be hearing from my people Mr. Jones, your full cooperation is expected," She stood up and straightened out her clothes before looking at the man once more and smiling as sweetly as she could. "And appreciated of course. Have a good day, Mr. Jones."

The blonde waved over her shoulder and sauntered out of the office without looking back. Akemi was paralyzed for a moment as she watched Diana go, still processing what had just gone down. She shook her head, breaking the trance and stood up hastily before turning to the distressed man on the other side of the desk.

"She's going to be me daughter-in-law some day." She said as she smiled proudly and turned to follow Diana out of the office.

"You must be very proud." Mr. Jones grumbled as he picked up his phone once again.

As Diana left the room, she stopped after turning a corner, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath as she waited for Akko's mother to catch up. When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she opened her eyes and turned to see Akemi looking and pointing down the hallway. Furrowing her eyebrows, Diana looked to the area where the older woman was pointing and saw two irritatingly familiar faces coming toward them. A tall brunette and blonde with tracksuits on sporting the French hockey team's logo.

"You." Diana growled and narrowed her eyes at the blonde girl.

On instinct, Claudine took a step back and hid partially behind Maya, surprised at the unexpected anger coming from someone she's never met.

"Do I know you?" The French blonde asked in confusion.

"No. But if you ever flirt with Akko again, we are going to have a problem. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Claudine squeaked out.

"Oooh." Maya chimed in, realization dawning on her face. "Blondes really are her type."

"What?" Claudine and Diana asked at the same time with wide eyes.

"Wait, you weren't really...flirting with that girl were you?" Maya stepped to the side so she could turn to look at Claudine.

The French blonde looked back and forth between Diana and Maya a few times before opening and closing her mouth repeatedly. When no noise came out, she cleared her throat and composed herself before turning and walking away without a word.

"Je n'aurais pas à flirter avec quelqu'un d'autre si vous me demandiez de sortir." Claudine grumbled as she went, leaving a flabbergasted Maya and a somewhat amused Diana looking after her.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened, by the way." Maya said softly. "I want you to know that we had nothing to do with it." With a sad smile, the tall brunette turned and left in the direction Claudine had disappeared to.

"Merci."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 _Where In The World Is Chariot du Nord?_

Amanda paced around the locker room, half in nervousness and half in boredom. Being someone who hated complete silence, she began to make odd noises as she paced. Hannah sat on the bed next to Akko with her face in her hands, feeling her eye twitch every time on of the noises made it's way to her ears.

"I am going to slap her if she makes one more noise." Hannah growled, quiet enough so that her girlfriend wouldn't be able to hear her.

"Not if I do it first." Akko's voice came out tired and agitated as she watched her redheaded friend. Her ankle was throbbing in pain and her fuse was becoming shorter with every second that passed.

The team was at a loss of what to do without their coach. Bodies were spread out throughout the locker room on the ground, some taking naps, most had their headphones in and watching videos on their phones.

"I'm so boooored." Amanda groaned, not noticing Hannah trying to stand up in anger before Akko grabbed her shoulder, preventing the auburn haired girl from inevitably slapping her girlfriend upside the head.

Suddenly the door to the room swung open forcefully making every occupant jump. Diana entered quickly and walked straight over to her girlfriend and friend both sitting on the bed in the corner. Akko's mother and father followed behind her, Akemi with a smug smile which seemed out of place to Akko, and Haruto with his hand over his eyes being led blindly by his wife.

"Akko, we came as quickly as we could when I got your message. What's going on?" Diana stopped in front of the brunette, brows furrowed in concern as she looked around. "Why are you all still here?"

"Chariot's gone." Akko said with a sigh as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"What? What do y-" The blonde started before the door to the locker room flung open again, making her spin around on instinct.

All heads turned toward the figure walking in, hoping they'd see their fiery red haired coach come through, only to be somewhat disappointed when Croix speed walked into the room. Akko, who had perked up somewhat, slumped her shoulders once more and joined in on the chorus of sighs echoing throughout the room. The lilac haired woman looked around, and without a word she walked to the coaches office.

"She's not in there either." Amanda spoke up, now seeming more irritated than bored.

Croix looked at the redhead before picking up the phone sitting on the desk and letting out a sigh if her own. For good measure, she bent down slightly and checked underneath the desk. Amanda snorted at the action.

"If she was under the desk this whole time I wouldn't even be angry. I'd be impressed at Chariot's hide and seek skills." The redhead chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. When she looked at Akko, she could tell that it worked just a little, as the brunette was trying to suppress a smile.

"Okay. Uh," Croix walked out of the coaches office and stopped, shifting uncomfortably as she noticed all the eyes in the room trained on her. "I don't know where your coach is so I guess I'm uh...responsible for you girls. Or something like that." She chuckled nervously at the unimpressed stares being thrown her way. "So what now?" She mumbled to herself, trying to come up with a plan.

"I would suggest getting the team back to their hotel. And Akko still needs to go to the hospital for an x-ray." Diana broke the silence, arching her eyebrow at the distraught woman in front of her.

"Right!" Croix exclaimed, putting a finger up in front of herself. "Good thinking, Diana."

The blonde rolled her eyes at the praise for the rather obvious suggestion. The lilac haired woman rubbed the back of her neck, still looking as if she was trying to solve a silent puzzle.

"How did you all get here?"

"A bus." Akko deadpanned as Diana slapped her forehead.

"Okay." Croix nodded, missing the exasperated looks she was getting. "Is it still here then? Well, I'm sure it'd still be here but, uh, yeah. Let's go children!" She began to walk quickly out of the room before being stopped by a shout from an agitated blonde.

"Croix, what about Akko?"

"Oh. Right." The woman walked back and stood close to Diana before whispering. "Do you have a way to get her there? Because I can barely take care myself let alone a bunch of girls and I'm about to scream and run away myself. I am really freaking out right now if you couldn't tell. Which I'm sure you could because I'm obviously not handling this well and Chariot's gone and I don't know where she is or where to find he-"

Diana eyebrows rose slowly as Croix's frantic rambling went on before she put a hand up to silence her before the woman could start to hyperventilate. The blonde looked around the room once more before pinning her gaze on the lilac haired woman once more.

"Just, get them to the hotel. I will take care of Akko." Diana said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But for the love of god, don't lose anyone else."

"Hey!" Croix's brow furrowed before she sighed. "Okay, that's fair." She stood up straight and motioned for everyone to follow her as she walked out of the room.

"So what's the plan?" Amanda asked the blonde after grabbing her bag and hoisting it over her shoulder.

"You are going back to the hotel with your team." Diana stated, pointing to the door where her teammates were disappearing through.

Amanda and Hannah shared a look of disappointment that didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. She knew how excited her auburn haired friend was about seeing Amanda before everything took a turn for the worse. She couldn't stand seeing the sadness in Hannah's eyes at already being separated from the redhead. Diana then got an idea. After reaching out and taking Hannah's hand, she pulled her to the side. The rest of the group watched curiously as Diana whispered something, making Hannah's features instantly light up. After the auburn haired girl nodded in agreement to whatever was said, they returned.

"It's not very nice to tell secrets, Cavendish." Amanda smirked as Hannah stopped at her side and elbowed her in the ribs. "Ow."

"Let's go, Amanda." Hannah took the redhead's hand and began leading her to the door.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm coming with you. Diana and I believe Croix is going to need all the help she can get."

"That...is true." Amanda shrugged before letting go of Hannah's hand and putting her arm around her shoulders instead before they walked out the door and into the hall. "Good luck, Akko!" She shouted over her shoulder as the pair disappeared.

When silence filled the room due to a lack of response from her girlfriend, Diana turned and saw that Akko had fallen asleep at some point in the last couple minutes. She looked peaceful. The blonde watched as the brunette's chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm before she felt a presence next to her. She turned to see that Akemi had joined her before setting her gaze on Akko once more.

"I wish we didn't have to wake her." Diana said softly, not wanting to wake her girlfriend up just yet.

"I know, sweetheart." The older woman put her hand on the blonde's shoulder in reassurance. "She's had a rough day."

"I don't want to see her hurting. Earlier she was..." The blonde trailed off as she thought back to when Akko was crying less than an hour before. Diana's heart broke for her.

"Diana," Akemi said after a few moments of silence. The young blonde turned her head and looked at the older woman with eyes full of sadness. "Akko is strong. She is hurting now but she has overcome much more than this. And in the end, this will only make her that much stronger." She then put her hands on each of Diana's shoulders and continued with conviction. "We never want to see the ones we love hurt, but we are the ones who get the chance to take that hurt away. I know you love her, Diana. And I have no doubt that she will be back to normal in no time. You'll find a way."

The bright smile Akemi flashed was filled with all the confidence in the world, warming the blonde's heart immediately. At that moment, Diana felt like a little girl who needed her mother's comfort. Something she'd been missing for the longest time. This woman had known exactly what the blonde needed even if she, herself, didn't know she needed it. Diana had found someone, not to replace her own mother, but someone to carry on in her stead. She couldn't believe the amount of pure joy she was feeling. Only a few months before, she barely had anyone to call her family. And because of Akko, her family had grown exponentially. And the blonde would be forever grateful.

"You're absolutely right." Diana finally replied with just as bright of a smile in return. "Let's get her to the hospital."

Akemi nodded and began to move forward toward the bed but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. The older woman looked to the blonde once more in surprise.

"Thank you, Akemi." Diana said softly, making Akemi blush slightly before she composed her herself and made a 'psh' sound and waving the blonde off dismissively. But not before flashing another warm smile.

The woman shook Akko gently to try to wake the girl up, but when she didn't stir, she shook her a little more aggressively. The brunette just weakly tried to shove the offending hand away before settling back into the pillow.

"This girl." Akemi narrowed her eyes at her daughter, making Diana's shoulders shake in silent laughter. The woman then smiled mischievously and shook Akko once again with a slight change. "Akko wake up! You're going to be late for practice!" She yelled, making her daughter jump up immediately with her eyes wide, instantly wide awake. The blonde watched the whole scene in shock, thinking she'd have to remember that trick in the future.

"What?!" Akko squeaked out frantically, looking around at the empty locker room in a panic before coming back to her senses.

"Ha! Works every time." Akemi proudly smiled at Haruto, who was now pinching the bridge of his nose. "What?"

"Gah!" Akko shouted in pain when she swung her leg off of the bed and placed her foot on the floor.

"Akko!" Diana gasped, immediately making her way to Akko's side. "Let's get you to the hospital."

"Thank god." The brunette sighed as her girlfriend chuckled and helped her stand up. She then noticed the lack of her team around her. "Where did everyone go?"

"The hotel." Diana replied and she forced Akko to put her arm around her shoulders.

"Then...how are we getting to the hospital?"

"I have a-" The blonde cut herself off when she remembered how she got to the stadium earlier that day. She then sighed. "I have a limo waiting."

Three sets of eyes looked at her in disbelief.

"For real? A limo?" Akko asked, as if Diana was playing a joke on them.

"It was Hannah's idea." The blonde rolled her eyes.

"I'll have to thank your friend later then. Did you hear that Haruto? A fancy limo! Let's go!" Akemi said quickly as she grabbed her husband's hand and began to drag him out of the room.

"Uh...okaasan? Aren't you forgetting something?" Akko called out before she could leave.

Akemi froze and turned around with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. After a few moments of silence, Diana gave the older woman a hint and pointed at Akko. Akemi's eyes went wide in realization.

"Oh, o-of course I didn't forget about you, Akko. Haruto, why don't you help Diana with Akko and I'll get her things." She said sheepishly as she began to gather her daughter's things.

The man nodded with an amused smile and made his way over to his daughter, urging her to put her arm over his shoulders.

"Don't worry Akko, she forgets about me all the time." Haruto mumbled just loud enough for Akko and Diana to hear. The brunette giggled as they began to move forward carefully, making sure Akko didn't have to put any weight on her injured ankle.

They made their way out of the room and through the various hallways until they found themselves outside, the limo already parked by the curb and waiting for them. The driver immediately stepped out and hurried around the long length of the vehicle to open the door for them, giving Akko an odd look as Diana helped her in.

"We need to go to the Cavendish Medical Center as quickly as possible." The blonde told the driver as Akemi and Haruto slid themselves into the limo after their daughter. The driver nodded curtly and Diana got in last before the door was shut behind her.

Before the vehicle even moved, Akko and Akemi were excitedly searching every inch of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. They pushed any button and opened any compartment they could find with Diana and Haruto looking on in amusement while the blonde took care of some business on her phone. Suddenly the car jolted and Akko, not being buckled into her seat and being already off balance due to her injured ankle, flew across the small space and onto her girlfriend's lap. In surprise, Diana raised her hands and kept them there as the brunette's face found itself resting on the blonde's chest, making the blonde blush fiercely as she could feel Akko's parent's eyes on them.

"Akko! You could at least wait until your parents are not in the car to canoodle with your girlfriend!" Akemi feigned an offended gasp.

"Okaasan!" Akko groaned as she unstuck her face from her girlfriend's chest and shifted awkwardly back to her seat.

The last few minutes of the trip were spent in silence apart from Akemi's snickering at her blushing daughter.

* * *

The bus stopped in front of the hotel where the team was staying, the door opening with a loud hiss. A stampede of players lined up and slowly made their way off of the bus while Croix watched them absentmindedly from the front seat. Amanda and Hannah were the last to make their way to the front of the bus and paused when the redhead caught sight of the worry in the lilac haired woman's eyes.

"You okay shut-in?" The redhead asked jokingly. When it elicited none of the usual reactions from the woman, Amanda's shoulders slumped dejectedly as she turned to give a concerned look to her girlfriend. Hannah only shrugged and looked away. "Hey, I'm sure she's okay. A lot happened today." The redhead said as she put a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I know she's okay. This is her home." Croix gestured to the street and the buildings around them. "But...that doesn't mean she...I just don't want her to be alone right now."

Amanda nodded slowly, contemplating on what she should say or do next.

"Well hey, why don't you go get that fiance of yours and we'll man the fort here. There's a nice restaurant here in the hotel. I'll make sure no one leaves until you find Chariot."

"Really?" Croix looked up at the redhead in surprise.

"Of course. Don't worry." Amanda waved her off, but no response came from the woman who didn't move. "Go!" The redhead exclaimed, making Croix jump immediately out of her seat before the woman cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, I'm still your superior. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Just go get my coach back so I don't have to deal with you anymore." Amanda smirked before she and Hannah made their way off of the bus and into the hotel lobby.

Croix scratched her forehead as she tried to hold back her smile before dealing with the driver. Finding out he had already been paid and she was fine to just leave, the lilac haired woman stepped off the bus before it drove away. Croix stood in place, worrying her lip as she looked up and down the side walk trying to figure out where she should start looking.

"Come on, you're her fiance. You should know where she'd go." The woman whispered to her self, frustrated. "Where would she go? Where did she used to go?" She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she thought. "Last time..." She immediately moved toward the curb to call a taxi when she thought of a good place to start. She wasn't going to find Chariot just standing here on the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, Amanda and Hannah retreated to the redhead's hotel room after knocking on the other player's doors and telling them to stay put until Chariot was found. The door beeped and unlocked after Amanda used the key card and she opened the door and set her bag down as they entered the room. It had been cleaned by the maid service since she had left so she ended up tiredly falling face first onto her neatly made bed. Hannah sat primly on the edge of the bed next to her girlfriend's head.

"You're not going to just fall asleep on me are you?" Hannah asked in annoyance, gently shaking the redhead. "I can just leave if that's the case." She began to get up but stopped when a hand reached out to grab her wrist. Amanda started to role over with half lidded eyes and a tired smile, making the auburn haired girl blush slightly. In the short time they've been going together, this was one of her favorite sights to see. When Amanda was tired, her teasing nature was almost nonexistent, making her smiles and loving looks completely genuine. They never failed to fill Hannah with an amount of warmth and affection she never thought she could possibly feel. And right now, looking down at her girlfriend's bright emerald green eyes, she felt an overwhelming urge to nuzzle up into the redhead's neck. She wanted to be held, protected by her girlfriend's strong arms. Slowly, she crawled into the bed and into Amanda's waiting arms before she recoiled quickly. "You need a shower."

"That I do." Amanda chuckled in amusement as Hannah playfully slapped her shoulder. The redhead stood up and began undressing before digging through her bag for some clean clothes to wear. The auburn haired girl's jaw clenched as Amanda took off her sports bra before she entered the bathroom and threw it over her shoulder. Hannah watched the object until it hit the floor by her feet and heard the bathroom door close. She stared at the black sports bra for a few minutes as she tried to block the inappropriate thoughts that threatened to take over her mind. But as always, the endeavor was impossible. 'I wonder if she locked the door...'

* * *

"Ugh...stupid things. Stupid stupid..." Akko grumbled as she once again stumbled while using her crutches, this time getting on the elevator in the hotel. Diana followed her in, trying to contain her laughter, and pressed the button to the fifth floor.

As the elevator jerked slightly and began to rise, the blonde glanced briefly down at her girlfriend's new cast and frowned. It had been more serious than they had thought although the pain had not seemed to be that bad. Of course Akko had most likely lied about how much it actually hurt to lessen everyone's worries. She always put herself last, and it irked Diana to no end. She could fix that.

"What?" The blonde looked up quickly at Akko, who was looking at her curiously. "Let me guess, you want to be the first to sign it?" The brunette smiled, but Diana could still see the sadness in her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" The blonde asked with a tilt of her head.

"Oh. Uh," Akko looked away and stared at the floor of the elevator. "I'm fine. The painkillers have kicked in."

"You know that's not what I meant." Diana stepped closer to the brunette. She reached out and forced Akko's chin up with her fingers in order to search her girlfriend's crimson eyes for the truth.

"Yeah, I know." Akko sighed as she melted under the blonde's gaze. "I'm...not okay right now. But I'm really happy that you're here with me, Diana." The brunette took the hand holding her chin in her own and kiss the knuckles softly before looking up into sparkling azure eyes once more and flashing a genuine warm smile.

The blonde smiled back and cupped Akko's cheek before leaning in and pressing her lips against the brunette's for a chaste kiss. The elevator dinged suddenly and Diana straightened up on instinct and cleared her throat before gesturing for Akko to get off first. The brunette rolled her eyes and giggled before she awkwardly made her way off of the elevator and into the hallway. Luckily for her, her and Amanda's room was only three door away.

"Could you get the key card out of my wallet? It's in the front pocket of my bag." Akko asked as she hobbled along.

Diana held up of the bag she was holding and unzipped the front pocket. After retrieving the wallet, she opened it to find the card but stopped in her tracks when something caught her eye. It was a picture of them dancing together in Akko's backyard on their first date. Someone had taken a picture of them without her noticing, but taking one look at the picture, anyone could understand why. The brunette's arms were around Diana's neck and they were both smiling warmly and gazing into each other's eyes as if there wasn't anything or anyone else in the world. That seemed accurate though, as there is nothing else for her, Akko is her world. Her whole world. Speaking of her whole world, she looked up at the brunette and found crimson eyes staring back at her in a mix of amusement and embarrassment.

"Could I um...have the key?"

"Oh. Yes." Diana shook her head and dug the key card out of one of the pockets in the wallet. "Allow me." She said as she stuck the card into the slot until it beeped and the light turned green. The blonde opened the door and held it for Akko as she slowly made her way in, taking care not to knock her crutches off of the door frame.

The room was dark before the brunette found and flipped the light switch on the wall. The room lit up and the pair walked into the main area where the beds lay. But they both froze in place when they saw Amanda laying on her bed beneath a bundle of blankets, looking back at them in horror. Akko had a look of confusion on her face and Diana just arched her brow.

"Uh...what?" The brunette asked hesitantly as she stopped in front of her own bed where her bag was waiting.

"Nothing." The redhead's voice was an octave higher than it should have been and her face was a deep shade of red.

Diana narrowed her eyes when she realized there was something missing here.

"Where is Hannah?"

"Uh...ha." Amanda's eyes grew wide and she shifted nervously. "She went to uh...get a drink?"

"Why are you acting so weird?" Akko inquired, just now catching on. When The redhead only shrugged, the brunette just furrowed her eyebrows before turning and walking toward the bathroom and hobbled inside.

Diana never took her eyes off of Amanda, knowing that something was going on. That was until she saw the pile of blankets move near where the redhead's legs would be. At first she didn't find that odd but she quickly realized that Amanda was frozen in place. She wasn't the one moving. The blonde casually walked over toward the end of Amanda's bed and jabbed her finger into the pile of blankets.

"Ow! Fuck that was my boob!" She heard a voice squeak from underneath the blankets, making Diana back peddle in surprise.

"Hannah!" The blonde chided in a loud whisper.

"...Diana?"

"Of course it's...ugh." Diana rubbed her forehead and looked back to the bathroom when she heard the door open.

They watched Akko hop out of the bathroom and stop at her bag before she notice the eyes on her. Looking over, she saw her annoyed looking girlfriend and a still very nervous looking Amanda.

"You guys okay?"

After one last look at the redhead, Diana walked over to Akko and put her arms around her waist.

"How about you come to my room and stay the night?" The blonde asked as seductively as she could in the current situation.

"Oh hell yes!" Akko exclaimed too quickly before she cleared her throat and continued. "I mean, I would love to. I should probably take a bath first though."

"No!" Diana said a little too loudly, making Akko jump a bit. "My suite has a very nice bathtub….with jets."

"Oooh. Like a hot tub?!" The brunette asked excitedly.

"Yes, exactly like a hot tub." The blonde replied in relief.

"Awesome! What are we waiting for?"

Akko hopped as quickly as she could back into the bathroom to retrieve her crutches as Diana zipped up her girlfriend's bag. In less than a minute they were ready to leave.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone, Amanda?" Akko asked before they opened the door to leave.

"I will be perfectly fine. Please just go...and have fun." Amanda flashed them one more nervous smile.

"We will! See you tomorrow!" The brunette yelled over her shoulder Diana opened the door for her.

The blonde looked back one more time to see the redhead mouth a 'thank you' before turning and following Akko out.

"Where are you staying by the way?" The brunette asked as they walked to the elevator.

"Here. Penthouse suite." Diana smirked at the look of shock on Akko's face.

"I have the best girlfriend in the world." The brunette whispered to herself excitedly, making the blonde chuckle.

They entered the elevator and Diana pushed the button for the top floor and held a card up to be scanned, making Akko bounce on her one good heel as they rose higher and higher. When it stopped, the doors opened revealing the large luxurious suite. The brunette was speechless as she hobbled out into the living area. The feel of the suite was modern, and white. Everything seemed to be white except for the very expensive looking art pieces on the walls and tables. Immediately in front of her was a large couch with the biggest television Akko had ever seen on the wall in front of it. To her left was an immaculate kitchen bigger than the one in her house, and to her left was a hallway she figured would lead to the bedroom, or bedrooms.

"Would you like a tour?" Diana asked, breaking her girlfriend out of her trance.

"Oh. Uh...yeah. Lead the way."

"Well you've seen the bulk of it," The blonde started as she gestured around the large area they were standing in. "so I'll show you the bedrooms and bathrooms."

Diana led Akko down the hallway and opened the door to the first bedroom which was the at least the size of a normal hotel room. Then they moved to the bathroom across from the first bedroom, it was nothing special really.

"This is where we'll be sleeping." The blonde said before opening the door at the end of the hallway.

Akko's jaw dropped when she saw the sheer size of the bedroom. Everything from the king sized bed to the TV on the wall rivaling the one in the living area left her speechless once more. She walked up to the wall on the far side of the room that was made of glass looking over the large city. The view was breathtaking to say the least. The sky was beginning to darken and the lights of the city began to stand out. As she stood there, leaning on her crutches, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a chin came to rest on her shoulder. Akko smiled and leaned her head against Diana's as they looked over the city in silence for a long moment.

"Would you like to see the bathtub?" The blonde said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Are you implying that I smell bad?" Akko asked cheekily with a smirk that her girlfriend couldn't see.

Diana pulled away after a moment and picked up her girlfriend's bag before she began walking toward the bathroom before replying.

"No comment."

"Hey!" Akko began to protest before she leaned down and smelled herself as she followed the blonde and grumbled under her breath, "Fair point."

The bathroom turned out to be bigger than her bedroom at the house. She stood just inside the doorway in awe as Diana sat on the edge of the bathtub to start the water for Akko's the bath. Seeing her girlfriend go through the trouble to take care of her filled the brunette's body with warmth and her stomach filled with butterflies. The affection Diana showed her always made her feel this way and she hoped that would never change.

Spotting a seat next to the vanity, Akko sat down and sighed in relief that she could now relax after this nightmare of a day. She stretched her legs out in front of her and groaned when she thought of a tiny problem with her plan of taking a bath.

"What's wrong, Akko?" Diana asked as she hurried over to where Akko sat.

"Oh, nothing. It's just...the cast. I can't get the cast wet."The brunette said sadly and jutted her lip out in a pout.

"You...didn't realize that before now?" The blonde arched her eyebrow. "The doctor literally told you that an hour ago."

"Well you're the one running a bath for me." Akko mumbled as she folded her arms and looked away.

"I'm also the one who has a plan." Diana chuckled at her girlfriend's childish behavior before turning around and walking to the bathtub to turn off the water. "Take your clothes off and I'll help you get in."

"...What?" Akko squeaked as a blush began to take over her face.

Diana stared at her, unimpressed, before sighing.

"Akko, I've seen you naked before."

"I know it's just..." The brunette trailed off as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "We are usually...ya know..."

"Are you intending to get in with your uniform on then?" The blonde asked in amusement.

"..."

"Very well." Diana stood up and began to walk to the door.

"Wait!" Akko called out, making her girlfriend stop in her tracks and look back with an arched brow. "M-maybe if you...um...were naked too...it wouldn't be so awkward?" She stuttered, looking at the floor at Diana's feet. Her blush increased tenfold at her suggestion.

"You want me to take a bath with you?" The blonde asked hesitantly as she slowly turned to face Akko fully.

"Uh...i-if you want to. Y-you don't have to. I was just saying it might help with...uh.." The brunette internally screamed at herself for rambling. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about this. Diana was right, she had seen Akko naked before, multiple times in fact. But this just seemed different for some reason. While she was berating herself, she didn't notice Diana move closer and suddenly she was staring up into azure eyes looking back at her.

"Stand up, I'll help you with your clothes." The blonde held out a hand for Akko to take which she did before slowly standing without her crutches.

Diana started with the uniform top, pulling it up and over the brunette's head before tossing it into the corner of the bathroom. Next went the sports bra in the same fashion. On reflex, Akko covered her breasts from view, making the blonde chuckle and roll her eyes before bending down to slide off the one sandal the brunette was wearing. Then she began to slowly take off Akko's skirt, spandex shorts, and underwear all at the same time. The brunette's heart began to race and her breathing became shallow at seeing Diana bent down in front of her like this. When the blonde's gaze drifted up to Akko's blushing face, the brunette visibly shivered at the intensity in the beautiful blue eyes looking back at her. Akko's skirt and underwear lay at her feet now as Diana leaned in and kissed the brunette's stomach eliciting an unexpected whine from the brunette who covered her mouth immediately with her hand. She could feel Diana smile into the skin on her lower belly as she felt another kiss and then the blonde pulled away and gently pushed Akko's hips back.

"Sit." The Diana softly commanded, to which the brunette immediately obeyed, closing her legs as tightly as she could.

Diana then carefully guided the clothing over Akko's cast before taking them off the uninjured foot as well before tossing them to the side like the others. The brunette now sat completely naked, her legs clenched tightly together and her hands covering her breasts. She felt pretty pathetic if she was being honest. She was about to be brave and let her hands drop until she was frozen in place when Diana began to take off her clothing casually, facing away from her. As she had taken off her heels when they came in, she started with her jeans, pushing them down painfully slow and shimmied out of them as she bent over revealing black lace panties. Akko swallowed thickly as she watched, her brain overloading at the display. She wondered then if Diana was meaning to put on this little show for her but at the moment, she failed to put together any words to ask. She wondered if there were any words left in her mind. What are words? She didn't care. Diana stood up straight and unbuttoned her white dress shirt before letting it fall off her shoulders and arms to the floor revealing a matching black lace bra, to which she reached behind herself and unclasped, letting it fall to the floor as well. Akko was so entranced that, while she did notice that Diana had turned around to face her, she didn't notice the look of pure amusement on the blonde's face. It wasn't until Diana began moving toward her that Akko snapped back to reality, just in time to see her girlfriend straddle her legs and sit on her lap.

"Did you enjoy the show?" The blonde asked with a smirk.

"Y-yeah." Was all the brunette could put together in reply, making Diana chuckle again quietly before she leaned in and captured Akko's lips in a soft kiss. When the blonde pulled back after a long moment, the brunette's words seemed to come back to her, unfortunately. "But your underwear..."

"You like them?"

"They'd look better on the floor."

Diana's eyes widened a bit as she bit her cheek to hold back the laughter threatening to escape her mouth. Her shoulder's began to shake as she saw her girlfriend's smug grin suddenly turn into a playful pout.

"You know what, they would, wouldn't they." The blonde stood up and took a step back before bending down and taking them off slowly until they laid on the floor at her feet, all the while never breaking eye contact with her girlfriend. "Better?"

"Yes, definitely." Akko said as she nodded fervently.

Again, the blonde rolled her eyes and smiled before she held out her hand to help Akko stand up once more. When they both made it to the tub, Diana stepped in first and carefully sat down before pushing herself up against the side, creating enough space for Akko to sit directly in front of her. The brunette sat on the side of the tub and swung her uninjured leg over the side first and rested her injured ankle on the towel that Diana had set on the corner, out of the water. She looked around, contemplating the best way to actually get her body into the water until she felt wet arms wrap around her ribs and gently pull her back. She stiffened at first but relaxed almost immediately when her bottom half came to rest underneath the water. She leaned back against Diana and sighed in content and grinned happily as she felt her girlfriend kiss the top of her head.

"How do you feel now?" The blonde asked softly.

Akko thought about the question seriously. Yeah, the day was a nightmare. But it was a nightmare she could barely remember right now as she shared this moment with her amazing girlfriend. How was she feeling?

"I feel like I can get through anything as long as I have you." The brunette shifted to the side, enough to make eye contact with Diana. "I love you so much, Diana."

"I love you too, Akko."

* * *

Croix jumped out of a cab for what seemed like the hundredth time that day after paying the driver. The vehicle sped away and left her looking up at the towering structure in front of her. Night was in full effect and the tower lit up the sky. The lilac haired woman sighed heavily and began to look around at the crowded area full of tourists from around the world. If Chariot wasn't here, she had no idea what she'd do. She was out of ideas. Croix began to walk, zigzagging between large groups of people taking pictures, trying to spot any trace of fiery red hair in the crowd. She was exhausted and losing hope quickly as she entered a more quiet area away from most of the crowds until she saw her. Her fiance sat on a bench alone, staring up into the lights on the tower. The Italian let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping before she walk slowly toward Chariot. She sat down on the bench in a huff and looked up at the lights that seemed to captivate the woman next to her.

"Hey." Chariot mumbled sheepishly.

Croix raised her eyebrows and looked over at the red headed woman.

"Hey? Really?"

Chariot finally looked away from the lights to set her gaze on the ground in front of them in shame, making the Italian's heart break. She put her arm around Chariot's shoulders and pulled her close until her fiance's head was laying on her shoulder. Croix suddenly snorted and began to laugh, making Chariot look up at her in confusion.

"It figures. You chose the most obvious land mark in France to run away to, and it's the last place I thought of looking. It seemed to easy."

The red haired woman smiled for just a moment before her expression turned sullen once again.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I...I was overwhelmed. And then Akko..." Tears began to roll down Chariot's face as she remembered her player rolling around in pain on the field. "I had to get away. From everything. God I fucked up so bad. How do I even face the team again?"

"I don't think you're giving them enough credit Char. Akko is doing fine, Amanda's face is okay-"

"What?!" Chariot turned her head quickly, her eyebrows raised. "What happened to Amanda's face?"

"Oh she punched the shit out of that girl who hit Akko and the other team pounced on her. Don't worry, the black eye and bloody swollen lip gave her character." Croix smirked at the shocked look on her fiance's face.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Croix tapped her chin as she thought about the question.

"I should probably tell you that..." The lilac haired woman trailed off, making Chariot grow more worried by the second. "That no one blames you for all of this. Those kids, they're going to fight for you because you are their coach, their mentor and part of their little family. None of them batted an eye when you revealed who you really were, and nothing has changed. They're going to understand, just like I do."

Chariot took a deep breath and nodded slowly but said nothing.

"And you have a very powerful person on your side now. I think that bitch might actually get what's coming to her this time." Croix smiled mischievously.

"Powerful person? Who?" The red haired woman furrowed her brows at her fiance.

"Oooh what's the saying again?" The Italian pursed her lips and then held up a finger, pretending as if a light bulb just went off in her head. "Hell hath no fury like a Cavendish scorned."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello my little Game of Love family! Just wanted to take a couple seconds to express my appreciation for all the support and very kind words Y'all have given me! I'm so happy you guys are enjoying my crazy story! I love you all!**

 **Secondly, I just wanted to let you know that this Chapter is a bit shorter than normal due to a crazy busy weekend, but I am working on a short bonus chapter for you guys that should be posted this weekend! Yay!**

 **Now enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

 _Love And Forgiveness_

Quiet.

Quiet was something Akko was not used to. Her life was always so chaotic. She woke up to chaos every morning, lived with chaos during the day, and went to bed after chaotic nights spent with five other housemates. She knew it was bound to be crazy when six teenagers lived together, but she never minded the craziness. Being rather energetic, she was thankful for it and never had a reason to slow down. Until now.

Right now she was cherishing the calming quiet as she leaned back against her girlfriend's chest at the head of the large hotel bed, the light from the television washed over them in the otherwise dark room. Diana had picked out a movie for them to watch, surprisingly a romantic comedy, which Akko would tease her for ruthlessly before they settled down on the bed and pulled the blankets over themselves. The brunette couldn't bring herself to pay attention, though. Instead of the sounds of voices and music emanating softly from the speakers of the television, she opted to listen to the music of her girlfriend's calming heartbeat. The sound was quickly becoming one of Akko's favorites, adding to the other sounds that came from Diana in their more...intimate encounters. Those would be forever be her favorites, hands down. But this sound was different. It was peaceful. It was...home. She was home when she was with Diana like this, or with her anywhere else for that matter. As long as she could place her ear over her girlfriend's chest and hear the soft 'thump thump' of a heartbeat, she was home.

Lost in thought, Akko began tracing Diana's hand with her index finger, memorizing every line and crease on her palm. As she looked down at Diana's hand, she felt a kiss being placed softly to the top of her head. The brunette grinned at the affectionate act before bringing Diana's hand up to her own lips and kissing every knuckle slowly and softly. Akko couldn't think of a way to make this night anymore perfect than it already was. If she was being honest, she wanted this night to last forever. She wanted to stay in bed with Diana and listen to her heartbeat, to exchange affection and to just...be here with the person she loved the most in this world. Why couldn't every night end like this? Could it? It certainly could if they...could they?

"Akko?" Diana softly called out, bringing the brunette back to reality.

"Hmm?" Akko hummed a reply tiredly, beginning to trace the blonde's hand once more.

"Are you okay, love? You've been...uncharacteristically quiet." Diana's voice was laced in concerned and Akko could feel her head dip to look down at her.

Even with her eyes closed, the brunette could clearly picture Diana's eyebrows furrowed in concern, and it made her smile adoringly before she turned her head to look up at the blonde, only confirming that she was right.

"I'm okay, Diana. I'm just...thinking about stuff." Akko nuzzled her head into the crook of Diana's neck and started tracing the blonde's defined collarbone now to keep her hand busy. Anything to keep away the sleepiness that had been creeping up on her, unfortunately it seemed like a losing battle as the heartbeat and warmth of her girlfriend all but lulled her into unconsciousness. She could stay awake. Just a few more minutes.

"Hm." Diana answered with simple hum, shivering slightly at the new contact and set her eyes on the television once more. In truth, the blonde had no idea what was happening on the screen. She found it hard to focus on anything else whenever Akko was touching her in anyway, or when she was with the girl in general. "If I may ask, what are you thinking about."

"Just that it's quiet. I like it." The brunette stated as her eyelids began to droop.

"It is quite nice." Diana agreed with a slow nod of her head as she absentmindedly started combing her fingers through Akko's hair. "It's nice to finally have this time together with out distraction."

"Mmm. We should do this every night." The brunette mumbled as she stopped fighting to keep her eyes open. The sensation of her girlfriend's hand combing through her hair seemed to be too much.

"Nothing would make me happier if would could." The blonde whispered as she could feel Akko's breathing become more slow and steady. She placed another kiss to the top of Akko's head and opened her mouth to say goodnight, but the brunette spoke again.

"Then we should live..." Akko trailed off to let out a long yawn before continuing. "together."

Diana's body went rigid and her eyes went wide in shock. She craned her neck to try and catch of glimpse of Akko's face to see of she was serious about what she had just said, or if she was still awake at all.

"What?" She chanced a whisper but was met with silence and a light snore from her girlfriend. Her heartbeat quickened and her breathing became shallow as she looked up at the TV again. "What?" She whispered again to herself, still unsure if that actually came out of Akko's mouth. Was she dreaming? She pinched her leg with the fingers of her free hand just to make sure. She winced at the pain and concluded that no, she was in fact not dreaming. Diana picked up the remote control and turned the television off leaving her in complete darkness now to deal with her thoughts. Had Akko really meant that? The girl had been half asleep when she said it, but does that make her words any less true? Would she even remember saying it in the morning? The blonde let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why do you do this to me, Akko?" She whispered as she leaned her head back against the headboard of the bed, now looking up at the ceiling. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

Before she could delve any deeper into her thoughts, Akko's phone lit up in the darkness just on the other side of the brunette. Diana leaned over and picked it up before the screen could go dark again. She saw that it was a message from Amanda. The blonde bit her lip and looked down at her girlfriend, wondering if she should wake Akko up or read the message herself. Would she be mad if Diana opened her phone? Chances are she wouldn't be but wasn't that an invasion of privacy? How had this night all the sudden become so complicated? She tapped her finger on the phone screen for a few seconds before she made the decision to open the message. Just in case it was an emergency. Sure, that was it. She swiped the screen and winced at the bright light that nearly blinded her. After her eyes adjusted, she opened the message.

' ** _Hey Akko. The shut in found Chariot. Team meeting tomorrow at 9 in coach's room. Be ready to leave for the airport after that.'_**

Diana sighed in relief, thankful that Croix had found Chariot. Admittedly she was a little annoyed with the red haired coach for leaving her team stranded like that, but thankful all the same that she was safe. Akko will be relieved. The blonde reached out to nudge her girlfriend awake when the screen lit up once more, signaling another new message. A new message from Amanda. Again, Diana opened it and read.

' ** _You guys are probably fucking right now so just text me in the morning to let me know when you're coming back to the room.'_**

The blonde narrowed her eyes at the message and clenched her jaw at the vulgar world. She didn't like that word, although she could make an exception for Akko if they were...no. Not the time to think about that. Coming from Amanda though, she could not let that slide. She began to type out a message back to the brash redhead before she could even think about whether or not it was wrong to do so. When she was done, she read it over once.

 _ **Akko is asleep but I will be sure to pass on your message. Also I will ask you to refrain from using such a vulgar word to describe intimate relations.** _

She pressed send and huffed as she let the phone fall onto the bed once more. Only a few seconds later, the phone screen lit up once more. Diana quickly opened it.

' ** _Diana?'_**

With a sigh and an annoyed roll of her eyes, she typed back.

 _ **Of course this is Diana. Who else could it possibly be?**_

She held the phone, waiting for a reply that didn't come. But to her surprise, her own phone dinged at an incoming message.

"Oh this is ridiculous." She whispered through grit teeth and she reached over to the nightstand to pick up her phone before opening it and reading the text.

' _ **What word would you use then?'**_

Diana thought about it for a moment before answering.

 _ **Love making.**_

The blonde didn't understand why she was even having this conversation right now. Maybe because she needed to get her mind off of what Akko had said earlier. She would indulge the redhead for a little while. How bad could it be?

' _ **That's gay. And I meant fucking...not love making'**_

Okay, it could be bad. Diana narrowed her eyes at the message in confusion. There was a difference? So she typed out her response, curiosity getting the better of her.

 _ **There's a difference?**_

She immediately regretted sending that. She needed to end this conversation. Amanda was too quick, though.

' _ **Oh my naive little princess.**_ _ **We need to have a talk.'**_

Diana sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose even though no one can see her utter annoyance. For a moment she contemplates not responding to the newest message, but she knows Amanda had no ill intentions. This is just her twisted way of trying to help. Diana's sure she has gone crazy when a smile graces her lips at having someone like Amanda in her life. The fact only confirmed when she types out another message instead of ignoring the redhead.

 _ **I am very comfortable with my love life, thank you very much. I refuse to talk about it with you.**_

There. That should do it. Amanda would surely respect her wishes. Right? That's when the phone lit up once more.

' _ **Oh I've HEARD how comfortable you are princess. The walls are paper thin in that house, just so you know. Somebody probably should have told you.'**_

Diana stared at her phone with her mouth agape. Her face grew hot immediately as she knew that the blush that had overtaken her probably left her as red as a tomato. She was horrified. How was it possible no one had said anything about that before? And Akko...well she was certain the girl also had no idea the walls were that thin because of how loud…

"Ugh." She grumbled. "God I'm not going to be able to look any of those girls in the face again."

She tossed her phone aside and slowly slid her body down further on the bed, taking care not to wake her girlfriend, and let her head sink into the fluffy pillow. Staring at Akko now, she couldn't help but let that one sentence run through her head over and over again. In the back of her mind she knew it was pointless to take it so seriously. The brunette most likely wouldn't remember ever saying it. 'Then we should live together'. The fact Akko had at least thought about it at some point filled Diana with both happiness and anxiety. This is exactly what she wanted wasn't it? But living together would make it so much more complicated if things went wrong. Why she felt things would go wrong in the first place was beyond her. This was why she ad never let anyone become close to her. Because when they left...if Akko ever left her, it would ruin her.

While she was lost in thought, she didn't notice two eyes staring back at her in the darkness. When azure eyes met crimson, all the unrational doubt in Diana's mind washed away in seconds. The comfort and peace she found in her girlfriend's eyes could quail any fear, any turbulence she was feeling due to her unbidden thoughts. Those loving eyes brought her back.

"Stay with me forever." Diana whispered, the desperation in her voice was painfully obvious. Akko wouldn't know the reason behind the sudden plea, but it seemed she didn't care. The brunette just smiled tiredly, still possibly half asleep.

"There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be."

* * *

The next morning, players sleepily made their way into their coach's hotel room. The mood was somewhat somber, uncertainty playing on the expressions of every girl sitting around the room in awkward silence. Chariot sat in the chair next to a small table in the corner and Croix stood next to her with a hand on the red haired woman's shoulder in order to provide some comfort. Chariot's heart is racing, threatening to drop into her stomach with every person who walks through the door. There was one person in particular who she was dreading seeing today. Sure, she had abandoned her whole team, but this one person needed her more than the others at the time. Akko had been hurt. Her best player had gotten hurt because of her past, because of a twisted grudge a psychotic woman held against her for reasons she still didn't understand to this day. Sure, she knew the reasons. She had confronted Gabriel about why and the woman had answered truthfully, but in the end it didn't matter. Without the resources, they were not able to prove anything.

The door opened again, bringing Chariot back to the present and she looked up to see Amanda first. The younger redhead held the door open as Akko hopped over the threshold on crutches. Diana walked in behind her and another girl she recognized, but couldn't put a name to, entered last and stood next to Diana. The players in the room ceased any noise or whispering at the sight of their injured captain. Chariot could feel several girls glancing quickly at her to gauge her reaction to the girl in the cast. Her team wasn't stupid. They knew the weight of what she had done, especially when it came to the brunette. The only one who hadn't spared her a glance yet was Akko herself. The girl hobbled over to the bed furthest away from where the coach was sitting and sat on the edge, Amanda settling herself down next to her. After the brunette leaned her crutches on the bed next to her, she finally looked up to meet Chariot's gaze. Something in her expression made tears begin to pool in he corner of the older woman's eyes. Hesitance? Sadness? Maybe it was a lack of trust. Whatever it was, Chariot never wanted to see that look on Akko's face ever again. She could deal with the heart wrenching guilt, but she couldn't handle seeing the disappointment on her player's face.

"Everyone's here." Croix whispered into the red headed woman's ear, making her jump slightly and nod her head quickly.

"Okay." Chariot said quietly as she stood up. She fidgeted with her hands for a moment and cleared her throat, trying to build up the courage for this speech. With one look at her fiance, who gave her a reassuring smile, she took a deep breath and began. "I need to apologize for my actions yesterday. I should never have left...I should have never abandoned you when you needed me most." She looked around at the faces of her girls, gauging their reactions as she spoke. Most of them refused to look at her, while Akko seemed to refuse to look away.

"I think I need to explain my past in order for you all to understand what is going on now. As I think most of you know, I played for the French national team for a long time. I played my hardest and earned a lot of opportunities that many did not receive. I had sponsors, I was asked to attend many big events, overall I had become pretty popular among followers of the sport." Again, Chariot looked around and took a deep breath. "I wanted my popularity to mean something, to help young girls understand that their dreams could become reality just as mine hide. While I had created many allies in my rise to fame, I had created enemies as well. One in particular I thought was my best friend." The coach took a deep shaky breath but she couldn't hold back the tears any longer as they began to stream down her face. "Gabriel Moreau, the coach of the French team, had been my teammate for a while. We became very close and I leaned on her for support throughout my career. She...something happened between us, and our friendship ended rather abruptly. It was then that rumors began to spread about certain players on our team paying off referees and illegally betting on our own matches, with me being in the center of it all."

Chariot took another break to try to compose herself and wipes away her tears as she began to hear sniffling coming from around the room. She wasn't the only one crying at this point, she wasn't sure if this comforted her or made her feel worse. She didn't deserve the sympathy after the day before.

"I'll spare you the details, and just say that the rumors and criticism became too much for me to handle. Although Gabriel had been one of the many who seemed to be defending me, I later found out through some credible sources that it had been her who had started the rumors, going as far to pay off the referees in some of our games to make it seem more believable. When I confronted her about this, she admitted just about everything, and threatened to do more damage to my career and my life if I didn't take myself out of the picture. I didn't have the money or the resources to do anything about it at the time, any claim I made against her was dismissed as there was no proof, and no one was willing to come forward." Chariots shoulders slumped in defeat, yet the tears still streamed down her face rapidly. After wiping away the moisture, she continued meekly, her voice raspy and cracking. "To avoid anymore damage to myself or the ones I loved, and the sport I loved, I resigned. I gave up my contract, my sponsors, even my own name, and I disappeared. Chariot du Nord disappeared. Gabriel's mission to ruin my life stopped there until yesterday. Until she..." The red headed woman locked eyes on Akko as she trailed off. The brunette had shed a few tears, streaks of wetness lined her cheeks. "You were all hurt because of me. Akko, you were injured because of me. And I can't express how sorry I am for all of this."

Chariot went silent and looked down at the floor. The players were waiting for her to continue, but after a long moment of silence from the woman, they began to look at each other, confused on what they should do or say. A squeak from the mattress of on of the beds made all heads turn in the direction of Akko standing up and getting her crutches into place before she looked at Chariot. The rest of the players held their breaths and looked back and forth between the coach and player, anticipating as to how the captain was going to react.

"You're right." Akko stated simply, furrowing her eyebrows and staring intently back at her coach. The brunette heard a few quiet gasps and saw Chariot grow pale almost immediately at her words. "It was wrong and irresponsible to have left us there." The brunette started to move slowly around the bed, taking care not to knock her crutches into anything or anyone. "We were worried and confused, you had no excuse to abandon us like that." The captain came to a stop a few feet in front of her still crying coach. "Did you influence the game yesterday? Were you the one who broke my ankle?"

"What?" Chariot gasped and stared back at her in wide eyed shock.

"Did you?" Akko asked a little louder with her eyebrows raised.

"N-no. I didn't."

"That's right. You didn't. As much as you want to blame yourself, Chariot, none of this was your fault. _This_ wasn't you fault." The brunette looked down at her injured ankle and then back up to her still shocked coach. "Your mistake was thinking that we would blame you. That we wouldn't stand by your side no matter what." She stepped a bit closer. "We sure as hell aren't going to abandon you because of your past or because some shitty person has it out for you. Do you understand?"

"You...you still want me as a coach? A-after what I did?" Chariot asked, voice only a little louder than a whisper at that point, but loud enough for everyone to hear over the deafening silence.

"Yeah, I do." Akko said resolutely. She stared confidently back at her coach, no doubt or hesitation could be found when Chariot searched her eyes.

"I do, too." Amanda spoke up for the first time as she stood up and nodded.

"Me too." Jasminka mirrored the redhead's actions.

One by one, each player stood and stated their allegiance with confident nods as Chariot watched in awe. After everyone was standing and silence filled the room once more, the coaches eyes locked on to Akko's once more, the latter with a small smile on her face.

"I guess you're stuck with us." The brunette shrugged happily.

For the first time that day, Chariot smiled. And first it was a smile of relief, but turned quickly in one of unadulterated joy. Tears were still rolling down her face, but not out of sadness. They were tears of appreciation and happiness. She quickly wiped them away and laughed quietly as Akko closed the distance between them and hugged her as best she could with one arm, letting the crutch fall to the floor.

"Thank you, Akko." Chariot whispered into the brunette's ear. "I'll make it up to you I promise."

"You can make it up to me by never doing that again." Akko whispered back. She felt her coach nod in agreement.

Croix sighed happily as she watched Chariot and Akko hug it out before moving toward the smiling blonde CEO still stationed by the door. Hannah had nodded and smiled at the lilac haired woman as she passed by to sit by her girlfriend.

"Your girlfriend is something, isn't she." Croix stated as she stopped at Diana's side and turned around to lean against the wall.

"She's amazing." The blonde said dreamily, smiling brightly at her girlfriend who was now animatedly talking to her coach.

"So I heard you made some people cry yesterday. Get any info?" Croix smirked as Diana's smile fell slightly, her cheeks tinted a light pink in embarrassment.

"I...might have gone a bit overboard I must admit. I think I traumatized that poor janitor."

Croix snickered at the thought of Diana making a grown man shake with fear. Although she knew now that she never wanted to be in that janitor's shoes. She likely wouldn't handle it any better. She involuntarily shivered at the thought. The blonde chuckled with Croix for a moment before she continued.

"As far as information, I wasn't able to gather much. Which is why I'm looking into hiring someone to begin a full scale investigation." The blonde ran her fingers through her hair in slight frustration.

"Ah. I knew you were good for something." Croix smirked and nudged Diana playfully, earning an arched eyebrow in return.

"If you would be so kind as to remind me, Croix, what is it that you're good for again?"

The lilac haired woman opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, searching for a witty remark that eventually never came.

"Shut up."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 _Odd Investigation_

"Whoooaa!" Akko stood in Diana's London apartment in awe. "This is even nicer than the hotel room we stayed in!" The brunette hobbled further into the apartment as Diana set their bags down and locked the door behind them.

It had been a month since that nightmare of a day in France. Akko had just gotten her cast off only days ago, replaced with a walking boot, and when Diana informed her girlfriend that she would need to go to London for a week, the brunette insisted she come with. Being as energetic as the girl was, being cooped up in the house on crutches made her antsy to do just about anything else in the world. And Diana would be lying if she claimed that the infamous puppy dog eyes had nothing to do with her decision to bring Akko along.

"Yes well, according to my aunt this apartment is satisfactory for the CEO of a multi billion dollar company to live comfortably in." Diana sighs heavily at the memory of her aunt telling her that this is where she'd be living when she had intended to move her whole life to London. While it was true that this was the most luxurious apartment available, and the location was impeccable, it was rather large for a single person. Top of the line furnishings and decor filled the apartment from top to bottom, but it always felt so empty.

"Satisfactory?" Akko turned around with her eyebrows raised as Diana threw her keys into a wooden bowl on the kitchen table.

"She can be a bit over the top." The blonde rolled her eyes and smiled warmly at her girlfriend, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement. "But I take it you're a fan of my second home?" She asked with amusement as she moved closer to her girlfriend.

The brunette turned in a full circle to scope out the apartment once more, brows furrowed with a serious look of contemplation on her face before she faced Diana once more, who was now only inches away.

"I really nice. Like, too nice." Akko stated cautiously before wrapping her arms loosely around the blonde's neck and smiling adoringly. "I'm just happy to be here with you." She pulled her girlfriend down slightly, enough to brush Diana's lips with her own. The blonde's eyelids fluttered shut as she leaned forward to make full contact, but Akko leaned back just before she was successful. Instead, the brunette leaned in close to her girlfriend's ear and nipped at the lobe before continuing. "Her with you...completely alone." She felt Diana shiver in her arms as the blonde gripped tightly onto Akko's shirt.

"A-Akko." The blonde whispered shakily as the brunette trailed kisses down the side of her neck.

"Yes, Diana?" Akko whispered back between kisses before biting down slightly on the pale skin of Diana's shoulder, eliciting a quiet moan from the blonde.

"A-Akko, we can't do this right now." Diana whimpered but made no attempt to move away as her girlfriend's hand slid from her neck and past her shoulder, heading for her chest.

"But it's been so long, Diana." Akko whined in reply before her hand found it's destination and squeezed as she caught Diana's lips in a searing kiss. The blonde pulled back quickly, struggling to catch her breath.

"It's only been a week." Diana's eyebrows raised as she tried to compose herself.

"Yeah, like I said, so long!" The brunette breathed out exasperatedly as she snaked her arms around the blonde's neck to prevent her escape. "You've been so busy, we've barely seen each other!"

"Akko-"

"And you haven't been over barely at all!" Akko continued, ignoring Diana and fixing her with a pleading look.

The blonde swallowed thickly and averted her gaze to the ceiling. 'If only you knew why' Diana internally groans. Every time she stepped foot in Akko's bedroom now, all she could think about was Amanda's comments about the paper thin walls. Damn that O'Neill, and those walls.

"I know, and I apologize. I've been rather distracted as of late." She sighed and returned her gaze to her girlfriend. "I promise I will make it up to you, Akko, but the investigators will be here soon with their reports." Diana stated apologetically and noticed the brunette's shoulders slump slightly. The blonde reached out and cupped Akko's cheek, the brunette leaning into the touch instinctively. "Now stop pouting and kiss me will you?"

Akko looked up quickly and flashed a lopsided grin, but it slowly turned mischievous. Diana arched an eyebrow, clearly suspicious of the sudden change.

"I'm afraid we just don't have the time, Miss Cavendish." The brunette took a step back and turned around to walk away before continuing. "Maybe if you pencil me into your schedule for later, you'll get that kiss." She looked over her shoulder and winked exaggeratedly before walking to the large sofa. Akko flopped down onto her back and pulled her phone out of her pocket to begin scrolling.

"Seriously?" Was all Diana managed to say as she stood there in shock. When she heard a giggle come from the sofa, she sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Well I do hope I have an opening. I am a very busy woman after all." The blonde made her way toward her office when Akko's head poked up from the sofa, eyes wide and lip jutting out in another adorable pout.

"That's a joke right?"

"Mm, I guess you'll find out after I check my schedule." Before Diana disappeared into the hallway, she turned and walked backwards for a few steps with a smirk. "I do hope, for your sake, that you didn't waist the opportunity for that kiss just now for nothing." After a wink of her own, Diana disappeared and walked down the hall to the door of her office.

"Diaanaaa! That's not fair!"

The blonde heard Akko whine loudly from behind her and she laughed silently as she opened the door and stepped in. After closing the door, she sat down at her desk and turned her computer on. She wasn't lying when she told her girlfriend that she had a lot of work to get done while she was here. But at the moment, she needed to prepare for the meeting with the investigators. It had only been three weeks since she hired them, so it surprised her when she got a call the week before only to be informed that the investigation was over. She was somewhat anxious about the outcome since it took such a small amount of time, but her lawyer assured her that this company was the most efficient she'd ever seen. So there was hope that they were just very good at their jobs, if the sickening amount of money she was paying them had anything to say about it.

She opened the files she'd sent them on all the possible suspects and informants. Honestly, the list was quite small as she had no idea just how deep the corruption went. She then opened her email and reread the messages she'd received from different people working for the investigative service. Most of the messages seemed quite professionally written as expected, and then there were a few filled with grammatical errors and emojis. Just a couple months ago, this would have bothered her enough to reprimand this person she'd never met, but she'd had quite a lot of practice ignoring these things with Akko's extremely informal way of texting and emailing. She just smiled fondly at the unprofessional email on the screen when she heard a knock at the front door. After looking at her watch, she stood up and made her way out of the office and into the main living area.

"Oooh, is it the investigators? This is so exciting!" Akko stood up and walked as quickly as she could to stand next to Diana, who was unlocking the door.

"Akko, I'm sure it's not going to be..." The blonde opened the door and trailed off when she saw the four figures standing in the hallway. "exciting."

For a long moment, they all just stared at each other. Diana had never dealt with investigators before, but she was expecting some older men with terrible facial hair. Not…

"Oh shit, you're the hot girl from that bad ass BMW!"

Diana did not expect to see the four girls from the black and yellow sports car from a month ago. The girl with the yellow mane of hair hadn't forgotten her either it seemed.

"Yang." The other three girls groaned in unison.

"What?" The yellow haired girl shrugged in confusion.

"Please excuse Yang here, we have yet to find a filter button on her." The black haired girl smiled apologetically as she held out her hand, ready to introduce herself.

"I've been looking for an off button personally, still unsuccessful." The white haired girl interjected and folded her arms in annoyance.

"Aw, lookin' to push my buttons ice queen? You could have just asked. I'll show you a but-"

"Okay let's just...get to business." The fourth girl finally spoke up. She hesitantly stepped in between the smirking yellow haired girl and the glaring shorter girl as if a war was going to break out at any moment. "We are in front of a client after all." The girl stated through clenched teeth as she nodded to Diana and Akko, who stood in shock at the scene unfolding in front of them. The other three girls in the hallway turned to the doorway as if they'd forgotten that they were being watched and cleared their throats in embarrassment. "Right. Hello. I'm Ruby Rose, lead investigator at RWBY Investigative Services." The girl stuck out her hand confidently in Diana's direction.

"Diana Cavendish." The blonde took Ruby's hand and shook it slowly, still not quite believing that this was all real before letting go and gesturing to Akko at her side. "And this is my girlfriend, Akko Kagari."

"Hi." The brunette smiled brightly and bowed at the group of girls.

"Tough blow Rubes, she already has a girlfriend. You can't come in and sweep her off of her feet like you were planning." Yang patted a now furiously blushing Ruby hard on the back.

"W-what?" The girl squeaked out, eyes full of horror.

"God, you wouldn't stop talking about how pretty she was for like a we-omff" The yellow haired girl was nearly tackled to the ground and a hand was securely fastened over her mouth to prevent her from saying anything further.

"I didn't...say that...not that you're not pretty...I mean you are...just...uh..." Ruby laughed nervously as Yang tried to pry her hand from her mouth.

Diana opened and closed her mouth a couple times, not sure what to say to that or about anything that has happened since she opened the door to this motley crew. The blonde glanced to the side, seeing her girlfriend was just at confused as she was, which wasn't as comforting as she would have thought. Thankfully, the black haired girl took calm step forward and smiled knowingly.

"Hello Ms. Cavendish, Ms. Kagari. My name is Blake Belladonna. And these are my associates, Weiss Schnee," Blake gestured to the white haired girl next to her, who nodded curtly. "and Yang Xiao Long."

"Ow! Yang! You bit me!" Ruby quickly removed her hand from Yang's mouth and held it with her other hand, wincing in pain.

"I usually reserve that kind of thing for Blake but you gave me no choice." The yellow haired girl grinned as she wiped her mouth.

"Ugh, gag me." Weiss mumbled and rolled her eyes, before those eyes widened and she held up a finger to Ruby and Yang, who were both smiling mischievously. "Don't."

The two snickered and Blake let out a defeated sigh. Diana could imagine that this happened often by the black haired girl's expression. She had to do something or they would get nowhere, and suddenly her anxiety from earlier came back full force. Maybe her lawyer had played a cruel joke when insisting that she hire these nutcases.

"It's a...pleasure...to meet you all. Please, come in." Diana pulled Akko, who unlike her looked thoroughly amused now, out of the way to give the girls room to enter the apartment. One by one they entered through the doorway, Yang and Weiss still bickering until the door closed behind them.

"Whoa, this place is amazing!" Ruby whispered in awe as she turned in a full circle.

"I know, right?" Akko squeaked from beside her.

"Oh god, there's two of them." Weiss shuddered beside Diana, who couldn't help thinking the same thing about the two energetic girls vibrating with excitement in front of them. Although the blonde didn't seem nearly as terrified is the white haired girl.

"Damn Cavendish. Nice digs!" Yang plopped down onto the sofa. "She could give you a run for your money, Weiss. Literally."

"Of course she can, you oaf!" Weiss stomped her foot indignantly.

"Can you two stop bickering for 10 seconds so we can get to what we actually came here for?!" Ruby shouted, effectively silencing everyone in the room. "So," She cleared her throat and approached Diana. "should we get to that meeting then?"

"Yes, of course. We can sit in here, I'm afraid my office isn't quite big for all of us."

"Okay. Great!" Ruby smiled a smile that would rival Akko's before turning to head toward the living area.

"Things aren't usually this bad."

A voice sounded from right behind Diana, making her jump. She turned to see the black haired girl, Blake, smiling back at her. Wasn't she just on the other side of the room?

"Pardon?"

"Them." Blake gestured to the other three girls, two of which were glaring daggers at each other. "They usually don't argue." The black haired girl cocks her head in contemplation. "Well, not this much anyway."

"Is everything alright?" Diana asked with an arched eyebrow as she watched in amusement as Akko fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair across from the bickering pair. The brunette looked up at the blonde and waved her over with a pleading look.

"They will be, once Yang gets over the shock of her best friend dating her little sister."

"Her...little sister?"

Blake just shrugged and walked over to the sofa, squishing herself between Ruby and Yang, leaving Diana standing alone and confused. She took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead, feeling the first twinges of a headache coming on. Knowing she probably shouldn't leave Akko by herself for much longer, the blonde joined the brunette on the love seat across from the sofa and crossed one leg over the other as she leaned back.

"Alright, let us begin."

"Of course." Ruby smiled and elbowed a still distracted Weiss to her right. "Weiss, if you would start us off that'd be great."

"What?" The white haired girl finally took her eyes off of Yang with furrowed brows before turning to see Diana patiently waiting. "Oh, yes." She opened her briefcase and pulled out a thick file folder. Once laid on the table, she opened the folder and took out a report, also sliding a copy across the table to Diana before continuing. "These reports show in detail all of the information we've gathered from each person you've requested us to investigate. And as per your request, we questioned Ms. Moreau very last to avoid any sabotage on her part."

"Thank you." Diana picked up the report and turned to the first page. At the top, she saw the name of the commissioner of the European Collegiate Hockey Association, Thomas Jones. "I assume you had no trouble with Mr. Jones." She asked with a slight smirk, sure that she had probably been in the man's nightmares for a while after their little impromptu meeting.

"The man sang like a little bitc-" Yang was cut off by an elbow to her ribs from Blake. "Ow. Fine he sang like a...little...girl?"

"Yes, he was quite forthcoming with his information." Weiss continued on as she went through her briefcase, choosing to ignore the yellow haired girl's remark. "He did request for us to deliver this to you because, and I quote, "I never want to come face to face with that devil woman ever again".

"Ice queen, devil woman. You two could be besties with nicknames like that." Yang flashed a toothy grin. But it faltered when she saw the unimpressed look on Diana's face. Somehow it held more weight than any glare Weiss could muster. "Tough crowd, huh?"

"So what was it that he wanted you to deliver?"

On cue, Weiss slid a piece of paper across the table.

"It's an agreement of sorts. He wishes to resign as commissioner, and in return, he wants his named to be left out if the investigation goes public."

"Hmm." Diana hummed as she quickly scanned the document before putting it down, uninterested. "And what was his involvement in the matter?"

"Not much. He was paid a large sum of money no ignore certain events, starting with the Chariot Du Nord situation some years ago." Weiss stated with a sigh as she leaned back and crossed her legs.

"Did you get proof?!" Akko blurted out, suddenly very interested when her coach's name was spoken.

Weiss's eyebrows rose in surprise at the sudden excitement.

"Of course we did. Like I said, he was very forthcoming."

"He was spineless." Blake sounded bored as she inspected her fingernails. "You'd think he'd never been threatened before." She smirked knowingly at Diana, whose lips twitched slightly, trying to hold back her own smirk.

"Am I the only only one who hasn't threatened this guy?" Akko folded her arms and pouted. The blonde chuckled and patted her reassuringly on the shoulder.

"I didn't." Ruby smiled proudly, making the brunette perk up a bit. "I use my cuteness to get things out of people. If that doesn't work," She then turned to the black haired girl and held out her hands as if to present her. "Blake uses reasoning." Blake gave a small smile and a wave before Ruby continued. "And if that doesn't work, Weiss threatens to use her power and status to destroy people's lives and reputation!"

"Hey!" The white haired girl gasped, offended. "I do not...I do that don't I. Never mind, proceed." Weiss waved her hand dismissively and Ruby nodded

"Aaaaaand if that doesn't work..." She trailed off and grinned at her sister.

"I use my fist to punch their faces in." Yang said smugly and winked. "We got a pretty good system goin'."

"Yup!" Ruby added, popping the 'p' for good measure.

"Do you...punch people's faces in often?" Diana felt absurd just saying those words, but she was actually curious.

"Not as often as I'd like." Yang shrugged.

Diana opened her mouth and put a finger up before ultimately deciding that she'd rather not question the so called 'good system', even if their tactics were quite unconventional. After closing her mouth and putting her finger down, she cleared her throat and turned to the next page of the report.

"Did you punch anyone during this investigation?" Akko leaned forward, off of where she was resting on Diana's shoulder, intrigued by the new information.

"Unfortunately no." Yang chuckled and sighed before shifting her gaze to Ruby and Weiss who were sitting awfully close to each other on the other side of the couch. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "I really wanted to punch someone though."

"Really? Who di-" Akko curiously started to pry before being cut off.

"Let's move on then, shall we?" Diana said a little louder than normal, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "The potential informants. Maya Tendō and Claudine Saijō. Were they as useful as I had hoped? It seemed as if they were just as put off by the events as we were." The blonde looked up from the paper, expecting an answer. What she wasn't expecting was the rolling of eyes and looks of annoyance.

"Well...heh." Ruby chimed in, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "They were...somethin' else. But we eventually got some stuff out of them."

"Eventually?" Diana arched an eyebrow.

"They seemed really nice when we played them though." Akko added, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as to why the investigators were acting so odd.

"Yes, a little too nice if you ask me." Diana mumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Akko." The blonde stated before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can one of you just please tell me what happened?"

"Yup!" Yang jumped off of the couch. "It's a good thing you have my epic story telling skills."

"Yang, no." Blake grabbed the yellow haired girl's hand and pulled her back down onto the couch. "She wants the _real_ story."

"Hmph." Yang huffed and crossed her arms. "I can tell the real story." She grumbled under breath.

"I'll do it!" Ruby stands up excitedly and makes her way to a part of the room where she can move around and hopefully do no damage. "Okay. It aaaall started when we were walking down a cold dark hallway." She started walking in place confidently. "When suddenly..." Ruby trailed off, trying to build a mood of suspense with a few beats of silence. "we heard a noise!"

Akko gasped and leaned forward once again on the couch.

"What was the noise?!"

"Ugh. Ruby. Sit down." Weiss interjected. "If we do things your way, it's going to take all night."

"Aw...Weiss." Ruby whined, her bottom lip quivering as she gave her girlfriend the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. Weiss swallowed the lump in her throat, her resolve was crumbling quickly.

"I'll tell the story." Blake said, looking bored but smiling slightly at Weiss's relieved expression. Ruby sat down, still pouting.

Diana was amused at the actions of the two sisters. When she found out that Ruby was Yang's sister, she figured one of them would have had to be adopted. But their pouts were too similar, they were sisters alright.

"Please, if you would Miss Belladonna." The blonde CEO urged, eliciting a small smile and a curt nod in return.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Before…**_

"Why is it so dark in this hallway?" Ruby whispered loudly as the four girls walked down an abandoned hallway in the french team's stadium.

"Well apparently everyone is supposed to be gone. But that one girl said they'd still be in the locker room doing...captain stuff or whatever for their big game this weekend." Yang squinted down the hallway, seeing a dim light coming from underneath a door in the distance. "That should be it."

The four girls walked carefully to the door and just as Yang was about to open it, her wrist was grabbed suddenly.

"Wait, shouldn't we knock or something? They could be undressed."

"We're all girls here Weiss." Yang rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Nothing we haven't seen before, clearly. And from what I walked in on earlier, yours isn't the only naked body you've seen."

"I thought we agreed to let that go for now." The white haired girl said through grit teeth.

"But it's my sist-"

"Can we please not do this here." Ruby pleaded hurriedly, trying to defuse the situation before it started. Ever since Yang walked in on her and Weiss doing...bedtime things this morning, it had been a constant war between the two best friends. "Just open the door so we can get this over with."

Yang sighed and nodded in agreement before opening the door to the locker room slowly. The light flooded the dark hallway as they made their way in to the silent room. The four girls looked around in confusion at the empty locker room around them. Just as Ruby was about to speak, Blake cocked her head and put her hand up to stop her. Knowing the black haired had an uncanny sense of hearing, the other three girls held their breath and waited. Blake looked toward the large opening that seemed to lead toward the shower area and pointed. They slowly and silently followed the black haired girl and sure enough, they began to hear whispering, but unfortunately for them, the whispering seemed to be in French, which none of them knew how to speak. It was a miracle they had managed a whole week in France already. The girls jumped suddenly and looked at each other in horror when they heard a scream come from the other side of the wall. Yang and Ruby jumped into action and ran as fast as they could toward the sounds of distress and skidded to a halt just as they entered the shower area.

Yang and Ruby had no idea what they expected to find on the other side of that wall, but it definitely wasn't two girls making out against said wall.

"Oh." Yang broke the silence, alerting the two girls to her presence.

A disheveled Claudine, who was currently pinned against the wall, gasped in horror and pushed against Maya, who had previously been pinning her against the wall, as hard as she could. The brunette yelled in surprise at the intruder and also being pushed backward suddenly. Everyone watched as Maya stepped backward quickly to try and regain her balance, and the rest seemed to happen in slow motion. When the method of stepping backward seemed to be failing, the brunette reached out for anything to grab onto, but only found a shower curtain that immediately ripped at the top. Now she flailed her arms before spinning around as gracefully as a ballerina, to Claudine's utter annoyance, and finally regained her balance leaning up against the tiled wall. She had her arms folded and her leg crossed over the other, calm and collected as ever. Claudine's shoulders slumped, a look of disbelief on her face. The shower room fell into awkward silence for a long moment as they all tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"Well, that was a thing, huh?" Yang said, still quite impressed with Maya's recovery. She quickly found out that it was probably the wrong thing to say when the Claudine turned and glared daggers at her, clearly trying to murder her with that stare.

"Uh...hi. We're looking for Maya and Claudine?" Ruby spoke timidly, pulling the blonde's attention away from Yang.

"Ah oui?" Claudine replied in curiosity, the anger seeming to wash away.

"Are you two...Maya and Claudine?"

The blonde narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as Maya joined her at her side. They looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation, before turning their gazes on Ruby once more.

"Parlez-vous Français?" Maya asked with an arched eyebrow, speaking for the first time since the girls had arrived.

"Uh..." Ruby stared at them, dumbfounded. "Oh! Hold on." She dug into her pocket and pulled out a small book. She furiously began flipping the pages before pausing. "Wait, what'd you say again?"

"Oh for the love of god Ruby." Weiss exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. The other two just groaned their agreement with the white haired girl.

Maya and Claudine had to suppress the smirks that were threatening to show on their lips when Ruby pulled out her French to English translation book. They were going to have fun with this.

 _ **20 minutes later…**_

"One question! It's been a twenty minutes and we've gotten an answer to one question!"

Yang had pulled Blake aside as Ruby tried deciphering the answer to question number two. The yellow haired girl clenched her jaw in frustration as she watched Weiss and her sister argue and flip furiously through the pages of the translation book before deciding to vent to her girlfriend.

"I thought Cavendish said they all spoke English."

"She did." Blake sighed as she rubbed her temple. "I don't know, maybe she was mistaken." She shrugged and took a deep breath before turning to watch Ruby and Weiss. That was when something caught her eye. The way Claudine and Maya stole glances at each other, and the way knowing smirks would appear for a split second, only to be masked by bored stares immediately. Blake watched for a few more minutes to make sure her suspicions were justified. "Yang."

"Huh."

"I think they're messing with us."

"What?!" Yang, Ruby and Weiss replied in shock before all eyes landed on Maya and Claudine.

The blonde feigned innocence at first, but the brunette's shoulders began to shake with silent laughter, giving away their rouse. Claudine's innocent smile slowly turned mischievous before she spoke.

"Oops."

"You speak English?!" Ruby half shouted with her eyes wide.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you say something earlier?!"

"You didn't ask."

"I'm going to punch her in the face."

"Yang, no."

* * *

 _ **Back To The Present...**_

Akko and Diana were trying and failing very hard to hold back their laughter across from a very annoyed team of investigators. Although Blake had started the story, each person filled in the blanks at some point, leaving no hilarious detail out.

"They were really nice after they found out we were working for you, though." Ruby spoke in Diana's direction as she finished up the story.

The blonde cleared her throat and wiped a tear from her eye as she calmed down from laughing.

"I assume you received all the information you needed from them then?" She asked as she looked down at the report, refusing to look at any of the investigators lest she break out into laughter again.

"All the information is in the report, but there wasn't much to learn from them." Weiss straightened her back and assumed her business posture once more now that the story was over. "A short summary is that they had no idea what was going to happen. There was only two girls on the team who seemed to be clued in."

"Was one of them the one who broke my ankle?" Akko asked quietly, the memory still a sore topic of discussion.

"Yes. They resigned from the team shortly after the game. They had already graduated and had no other reason to stay, according to Maya and Claudine. The coach used that to her advantage." Weiss's eyes flitted to Akko for a brief second before continuing. "Unfortunately, the girl in question refused to speak with us. But her accomplice was more willing."

"Yeah, because she had the hots for Blake." Yang added, winking at the suddenly blushing black haired girl.

"While that information is completely unnecessary, Yang, she did confirm that their coach had told them to do exactly what they did." Weiss left it at that and pulled out some more pieces of paper from her briefcase.

The mood in the room fell slightly at Akko's downtrodden expression. Diana took her hand in her own, intertwining their fingers and giving a reassuring squeeze. The brunette smiled and nodded, letting Diana know that she would be okay. The blonde turned another page and quickly scanned it.

"And the referees?"

"Easy peasy." Ruby smiled brightly, trying to lighten the mood. "When they wouldn't talk, Weiss just whispered something in their ears aaaand...instant answers."

"Now that I'm thinking about it, Weiss, what did you whisper into their ears?" Yang asked curiously.

"Does it really matter yang? It worked." The white haired girl shrugged and slid some papers across the table.

"Ominous." Blake mumbled.

"Ruby your girlfriend is a little scary." Yang added.

"She is not!" Ruby denied the claim, at least on the outside. On the inside, she had to admit that she was a little scared of Weiss.

"This is all the proof we need for the payoffs. Bank statements, transfers, account numbers." The white haired girl crossed her legs once more and waited.

Diana's jaw dropped when she looked through all the information she was just given. Could it have really been that easy?

"And Ms. Moreau?" The blonde asked as she ran out of pages to turn. The french coach's report was not there, if there even was one.

"Ah. Yes. Her." Ruby laughed nervously. "Her...we did have a problem with."

"What happened?" Akko asked, intrigued again now that her mood was lifted.

"Well, to put it delicately-" Weiss began.

"She told us to fuck off." Yang said bluntly, cutting off her friend.

"Yang." Blake chastised.

"What, she literally said that!"

"It's quite alright." Diana intervened. "I honestly expected as much." It wasn't a lie. The blonde hadn't expected anything from the french coach. But she had hoped Gabriel would have made it easy on them and confess when she heard of all the evidence against her. Still, Diana wasn't worried. They had more than enough to present. More than she ever thought they'd get. RWBY Investigative services was definitely worth the money. "Is this it, then?"

"It's everything we have for now, yes." Ruby stated confidently. "Our new contacts will keep us informed of any changes but I think we have enough information to build a solid case."

"Yes. Of course. This is more than I had hoped for." Diana couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief that this was going to be resolved soon. "Thank you."

The four girls across from Diana and Akko smiled back happily and nodded.

"We should celebrate!" Akko suddenly shouted excitedly, making everyone in the room jump. "Let's get some drinks Diana! Do you guys want to stay and celebrate? You seem like a lot of fun!"

Weiss and Blake looked unimpressed with the praise while Ruby and Yang were grinning at the excited girl.

"Oh we are, shorty." The yellow haired girl agreed and winked. "But I'm afraid we've overstayed our welcome enough as it is. Maybe next time."

While Akko was pouting over being called shorty, she missed the appreciative smile that Diana had flashed Yang, who nodded and stood up. The rest of the girls followed her lead and began walking toward the door.

"You'll get your payment within the week Miss Rose." Diana informed the shorter girl as they paused by the door.

"Great! And you can call me Ruby." Ruby grinned toothily and the blonde smiled back warmly before opening the door.

"Thank you again, Ruby."

"Glad we could be of service! We'll be in touch!"

Yang followed Ruby out the door with a stoic salute, Blake followed with a smile, and Weiss paused in front of Diana.

"You two do have a lovely home here." The white haired girl smiled and held out her hand.

"Oh. Thank you." Diana took the hand and shook it as she let those words sink in. 'You _two_ have a lovely home here'.

After goodbyes were said and Weiss exited the apartment, the blonde turned to see how Akko had reacted to that comment. But at soon as their eyes met, the brunette looked away quickly and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Heh, she thought we lived together. That's crazy right?" Akko turned and started walking away without another word toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

"Is it?" The words came out of Diana's mouth without thinking and made the brunette stop in her tracks. The blonde stiffened immediately. Oh shit. This conversation was about to happen. At least she thought it was. Akko just stood there silently, back still turned to Diana, and the blonde began to panic. "I apologize, Akko. I didn't-"

"Is it?" The brunette finally broke her silence, abruptly cutting off Diana's apology. She turned around and locked eyes with the blonde. "Is it crazy that I want to spend every waking moment with you? Is it crazy that I want you to be the last thing I see when I go to sleep every night, and the first thing I see when I wake up every morning?"

"Akko..." Diana called out softly as she moved slowly toward where her girlfriend stood.

"It's crazy right?" Akko wiped a tear that had fallen down her cheek with the back of her hand and sniffled. "I mean, we haven't even been together that long!" She throws her hands up in frustration. "And when I suggested it at the hotel you just...froze and I know I shouldn't have said it bu-"

"You remember saying that?" Diana suddenly found her voice again. "I thought you were half asleep! Why didn't you say anything afterward?"

"Because I was scared! I was scared that you'd think I was some sort of clingy obsessed girlfriend who always wanted to be in your business." Akko rubbed her arm, closing in on herself and looking down at the floor as the blonde approached. "I mean, that's what it feels like. I shouldn't feel this way, should I?"

"Akko." Diana took the brunette' s chin between her fingers gently guided it up until crimson eyes met azure ones. "Do you want to move in with me?"

"Are you..." Akko's throat suddenly went dry and her eyes widened. "D-didn't I just..."

"I want to hear you say it properly. Do you want to move in with me?" Diana asked again, voice cracking slightly as her nerves were slowly getting the best of her.

"Yeah." The brunette whispered so softly, the blonde could barely hear it.

"Y-you do?"

"Yes." Akko managed to say a little louder this time.

Diana smiled widely and leaned in to place one soft chaste kiss on her girlfriend's lips. She pulled away and rested her forehead against Akko's before wrapping her arm's around the brunette's waist.

"Then will you move in with me, Akko?"

"I would love to, Diana."

They both giggled before Akko nuzzled her head into the crook of Diana's neck. They stood here in silence for what seemed like forever before the blonde leaned down and kissed her girlfriend's forehead.

"Akko?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I have an opening in my schedule right about now."

Akko let out a tired snort and giggled.

"You're such a dork, Diana. I love you."

"I love you too, Akko. More than anything."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 _Closure_

Eyelids slowly fluttered open revealing tired azure eyes behind a mess of blonde hair. Diana inhaled deeply through her nose, reveling in the scent of newly brewed coffee wafting into the bedroom from the kitchen. She furrowed her eyebrows and reached behind her, her hand finding nothing but an empty bed rather than the girl who should be fast asleep next to her. The blonde then woke up entirely, the grogginess slowly dissipating as she began to hear noises of silverware clinking and cupboards and drawers closing. What time was it? Akko usually never woke up before her when they spent the night together, and on the rare occasion that did happen, she would wake Diana up for morning kisses and cuddles. So what was different about this morning?

The CEO sat up slowly and rubbed the remaining tiredness out of her eyes before she forced herself to slide out of bed, shivering slightly at the cooler air on her bare skin, and headed to the bathroom for her morning routine. After combing her hair and brushing her teeth, she slipped on her silk robe and made her way out into the hallway leading to the kitchen. Before she entered, she peeked around the corner to spy on what her girlfriend was up to so early in the morning. What came into to view made her put her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle, but she couldn't help but smile adoringly at the sight of Akko standing in front of the stove with her headphones in, dancing to the quick beat that was no doubt blaring in her ears. She wore nothing but her boyshorts underwear and a white tank top, both items of clothing very flatteringly hugging her toned curves. Diana's eyes wandered down Akko's body and paused on her girlfriend's butt, which was shaking now as the song in her ears must have changed. After a moment of unabashed lustful staring, the blonde could feel her cheeks beginning to burn with a blush at the thought of walking over and ripping those boyshorts off at that very moment. She really _really_ wanted to. But instead, Diana shook her head and forced her eyes to stay above Akko's waistline or those thoughts were sure to spiral out of control more than they already had. Akko had clearly gone though the trouble of getting up early to cook breakfast and make coffee for them. She could ignore her libido for now, but if her girlfriend kept dancing like she was, she wasn't sure how long she could hold back.

The blonde walked slowly into the kitchen toward the brunette, stopping just behind her. Akko's shaking hips lightly bumped into Diana's front, making the brunette freeze instantly. The blonde smirked and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend's waist before she could manage to turn around. Akko took the earbud out of her ear in time to her Diana chuckling as the blonde lowered her chin onto the brunette's shoulder.

"Good morning, love." Diana spoke into Akko's ear, voice sultry and raspy from sleep.

The brunette shivered slightly from the breath ghosting over her sensitive ear and neck. She grinned toothily and leaned her head against the blonde and turned her attention back to the eggs she was currently frying.

"Morning." Akko replied giddily as she flipped the eggs over in the pan.

"It was quite the surprise to find the bed empty when I woke up. What's the occasion for all of this?" Diana kissed her girlfriend's neck, making Akko drop the spatula into the cast iron pan, eliciting a loud clinking noise. The blonde smiled against the brunette's skin, feeling the quickening pulse under her lips.

"I-I woke up an hour ago and couldn't sleep so I thought I'd make breakfast." Akko cleared her throat in an attempt to calm down as she picked up the spatula once more. "I couldn't stop thinking about last night."

"Mm." Diana hummed against the brunette's neck and placed another kiss. "Which part?"

Akko sighed, and once she knew the eggs would be okay left alone for a moment, she turned around to see her girlfriend smirking down at her, eyes still half lidded. She rolled her eyes and smiled in amusement at this rarely seen side of Diana before snaking her arms around the blonde's neck.

"The part where you asked me to live with you." Akko stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to give the blonde a chaste kiss on the lips. "And I thought we could celebrate by having a nice breakfast together. As a preview for the future. I am a pretty good cook if I do say so myself." The brunette flashed a proud smile.

"That is good to know." Diana stared back with a lopsided smile of her own for a moment. "Although I do believe your eggs are burning."

Akko's eyes went wide before she twisted around quickly, moving the pan immediately off of the flame.

"Dianaaa!" The brunette whined. "You're distracting me."

Diana laughed heartily as Akko emptied the contents of the pan into the garbage can.

"You talk about distraction when you're the one dancing around in your underwear." The blonde smirked as the brunette's cheeks began taking on a red hue. Akko rubbed the back of her neck and tilted her head back to gaze at the ceiling, looking as if she couldn't come up with a rebuttal. Diana cupped her cheek and pulled her closer for a slow, smoldering kiss before pulling away and gazing lovingly into sparkling crimson irises. "Promise this is what you'll wear to cook when we have our own place."

"I promise." Akko giggled before playfully pushing Diana away. "Now go away so I can focus on the food and not my insanely hot girlfriend."

"I...what?"

"You heard what I said now go." The brunette shoved the protesting blonde completely out of the kitchen. "I'll let you know when you can come back in." She said authoritatively.

"Seriously?" The blonde whispered and stood in complete shock, watching Akko get back to cooking without another word. Not exactly knowing what to do with herself, she stood on the threshold of the kitchen awkwardly, looking awfully like a lost puppy waiting to be called by her owner. Who would have ever imagined that Diana Cavendish, CEO of a multi billion dollar company, would be kicked out of her own kitchen? Definitely not Diana Cavendish.

After the long wait for breakfast, it turned out to be absolutely worth it. With each bite, she grew more impressed by Akko's cooking skills. She honestly had no idea her girlfriend could cook at all. To be fair, the brunette lived with Jasminka, a very impressive chef in her own right, so it it was no wonder why Akko had never cooked anything while Diana was visiting. She finished her food and took her plate to the sink before refilling her cup with coffee. The brunette followed and began running water for the dishes while Diana approached her from behind and wrapped her arms around her waist, and placed a quick kiss to the back of Akko's head.

"Thank you for breakfast, Akko. It was delightful."

"Mmm." The brunette hummed contently and interlocked her fingers with Diana's, which were currently resting on her waste. "You can thank me by doing the dishes?" Akko smiled cheekily until the blonde quickly let go of her and pulled away. She quickly turned around in panic. "Wait."

"I apologize, Akko I really need to get ready for my meeting." Diana smiled apologetically, or what was supposed to look apologetic. Akko could see right through the rouse.

"Your meeting isn't for two hours." The brunette said flatly, slightly glaring at the blonde with suspicion.

"Ah, yes. But I must get to the office right away." Diana waved dismissively over her shoulder as she walked.

"Are you seriously going to work early so you don't have to do the dishes?!" Akko yelled after in exasperation, flailing her arms around for good measure.

"I'm a very busy woman, Akko." The blonde turned and smiled mischievously over her shoulder.

"Wow, you know, maybe I changed my mind about living with you then!" The brunette shouted as Diana disappeared into the hallway.

"Well it was nice while it lasted. But I completely understand." The blonde shouted back and Akko heard the bedroom door open.

"Dianaaaa! That's not fair!" The brunette whined loudly. But when she got no response, she huffed and turned back around to face the sink. "Unbelievable." She mumbled, but any annoyance she was able to muster faded away quickly. A smile broke through her angry facade as she began to clean the first plate. No matter how many dishes she was going to have to do, living with Diana was going to be amazing. Living with the love of her life was going to be the greatest adventure she'll ever have and she couldn't wait for it to start.

* * *

Chariot sat on her couch, wrapped up in her blanket and absentmindedly stared at the bright screen of her laptop. The headline in large font at the top of the screen stated that the French team had won the tournament. Although she was doing better, thanks to Akko and Croix being there for her at any moment she needed comfort or someone to talk to, she still had the feelings of guilt, and anger, and hurt looming over her. Gabriel hurt her in a way that was unforgivable. She shut her laptop a little harder than she intended before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Soon she felt the couch sink next her and on instinct she leaned to the side and set her head on her fiance's shoulder.

"She won." Chariot whispered with a sigh.

"I don't see it that way." Croix whispered back as she began to run her fingers through fiery red locks of hair.

"How so?" The red headed woman pushed herself off of Croix's shoulder to be able to look into her eyes. "Her team won, Croix."

"That's right, her team won. A team she inherited right before the tournament. And if I had to guess, it was through nefarious means like everything else she does. Chariot, she didn't win. She proved she still can't accomplish anything without throwing her money around." The lilac haired woman took Chariot's face in her hands and looked at her distressed fiance with concerned eyes. "Please stop reading those articles. They'll only make you feel worse."

"Ugh, I know!" Chariot stood up suddenly and threw her hands up in the air. "But this is my life, Croix! God I just can't get away from her! What the hell am I supposed to do?" She shouted, making Croix sit back slightly on the couch in surprise as she watched the red haired woman begin to pace back and forth. "What...what can I do?" Her voice cracked as her shoulders slowly slumped in defeat.

"Chariot..." The lilac haired woman started but trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say. She hadn't seen this side of her fiance in a long time and for the first time in a long time, she didn't know how to help. But whether it be by the grace of the gods or just extremely good luck, there came a knock at the door, making Chariot momentarily forget her distress.

The red headed woman wiped her eyes of the few tears that had made their way down her face before walking hesitantly over to the door and checked the peep hole. She then straightened out her clothes and ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself appear less of a mess than she felt internally. Chariot opened the door to the sight of her favorite player's blonde girlfriend.

"Diana. What a surprise!" She greeted the CEO, voice wavering slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde who shuffled on her feet uncomfortably.

"I hope you don't mind me showing up unannounced, Akko and I just arrived home from London and I felt like I needed to speak to you about the results of the investigation. But I can come back if this is a bad-" Diana took a step back as if to leave, she could tell that Chariot was out of sorts about something and she didn't wish to impose, but the woman reached out quickly to grab her wrist and stopped her in her tracks.

"No! No. This isn't a bad time. Please come in, Diana. It's good to see you." The French woman urged with a genuine smile.

"It's good to see you as well, Chariot. Thank you." The blonde smiled and nodded as she passed through the doorway and stopped just inside.

"We can sit over here." Chariot walked past Diana and gestured for her to follow. They approached the couch where Croix was still lounging on. "Would you like some tea before we get started, Diana?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you." The blonde replied as she gave a curt nod to Croix and sat down to begin digging files out of her bag.

The redhead smiled and nodded before leaving the room. Croix watched Diana closely with an arched brow as the blonde organized the large amount of papers in an orderly fashion before fidgeting quietly when she had nothing left to do with her hands.

"How have you and Chariot been since France?" Diana broke the awkward silence as she crossed one leg over the other and rested her elbow on the arm of the couch.

"We've been well." Croix answered automatically before truly thinking about it. "I've been well. Chariot is...still troubled. Still blaming herself for what happened." She finally said sadly.

Diana stared silently down at the floor for a long moment and nodded slowly. She didn't think the red haired would still be feeling that way after more than a month.

"I hope you have some good news because I don't know how to help her, Diana." The Italian woman said quietly, desperate to finally have an answer to the problem that has been plaguing them for years now.

Before Diana could reply, Chariot entered the room carrying a tray of teacups. She set them down on the table in front of the two women on the couch, and sat herself down in the chair closest to Croix. Diana smiled and murmured a thank you before readying her tea to her liking and taking a sip. Chariot and Croix did the same before setting their cups down, eyes locked onto the blonde CEO.

"I'm not going to get into too many details here." Diana stated as she picked up a stack of papers. "I made you a copy of the report. But in summery, we were able to get a lot more information than I had hoped for. It seems that there is no loyalty among criminals." The blonde let a ghost of a smirk reach her lips as Croix smiled in amusement and relief at that last statement. "The real reason I'm visiting is to ask how you would like to move forward with this."

"...What?" Chariot's surprise was evident. She wasn't expecting to really be involved other than hearing what the investigators had found.

"Chariot, you have been affected by the corruption more than anyone else. I wouldn't feel right going forward without you. I want you to come with me to confront Ms. Moreau with the evidence and to hear what she has to say for herself." Diana spoke with unwavering confidence, causing Chariot to go wide eyed.

"Why would she say anything to me? Diana, I think-"

"Please, Chariot. Let me finish before you say anything." The blonde's tone was not harsh, but one could not deny that the authoritative aura that surrounded her was somewhat intimidating. The red headed woman shut her mouth instantly and nodded her head, allowing Diana to continue. "You inspired countless little girls to follow their dreams, including Akko. She wouldn't be the person she is without you. And I'd bet there are many more young woman just like Akko out there because of your influence." The blonde leaned forward and retrieved a paper from the bottom of the pile of papers in front of her and held it out to a confused Chariot. "I want to give you an opportunity to be that that person again, Chariot."

The redheaded woman took the document and scanned through it quickly before furrowing her eyebrows and setting her gaze back on Diana.

"I don't..." Chariot looked back at the document. "This is..."

"It's a contract. You see, I have been in contact with Commissioner Jones. And under the scrutiny of the recent investigation, he felt it was in his best interest to retire early." The blonde's smirk returned. "Being the CEO of Cavendish Medical, the league's newest and biggest sponsor, he has given me the freedom to find a suitable replacement."

Chariot and Croix looked at each other in disbelief before looking back in Diana's direction. The redhead swallowed thickly and let out a shaky breath.

"You want me to..." She trailed off. She couldn't even say it. It was a ridiculous.

"I want you to replace Commissioner Jones, Chariot. And I want us to take down Moreau together."

* * *

Amanda stared back at Akko from across the table in the middle of the kitchen. She had frozen just before taking a bite of her sandwich when the brunette had told her that she would eventually be moving in with Diana. Akko stared back nervously, her leg bouncing up and down underneath the table as she waited for a reply from the redhead.

"...Come again?" Amanda finally asked as she put her sandwich down.

"Diana and I are going to move in together?" The brunette replied hesitantly.

"Are you messing with me?" The redhead's eyebrows rose, but when Akko just shook her head in reply, Amanda chuckled. "Damn, you guys move quick. You do remember you've only known each other for like...three months right? Did you get a concussion that resulted in memory loss without me knowing?"

"Amandaaa." The brunette whined as the redhead laughed at her expense. "I haven't forgotten." She crossed her arms and pushed out her bottom lip in a pout.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. But...you're sure about this?" The humor in Amanda's expression faded, being replaced with concern.

"Yeah."Akko said confidently and smiled brightly. "I know it doesn't make much sense, but...I can't explain it. It just...it just feels right, Amanda. And Diana feels the same way."

"Mmm." The redhead hummed as she took a bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly, thinking over what her friend had just told her. She finally swallowed and took a drink of her water, all the while Akko held her breath, again waiting for a reply. "I'm happy for you, Akko." Amanda smiled warmly at the brunette. "I'm really going to miss you."

Akko gasped and grinned back before standing up and practically ran around the table. Amanda stood up and held her arms out, allowing the brunette to crash into her for a bone crushing hug.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Amanda."

After a moment, the redhead pulled out of Akko's grasp and chuckled, quickly brushing away a stray tear.

"Geez. Enough with the mushy stuff. I think this calls for a big going away party don't you think? When are you moving out?"

"Um...well I'm not sure yet." The brunette mumbled as she rubbed the back of her neck. "But you'll be the first to know."

"I had better be." Amanda smirked. "You'll always have a place here Akko. Never forget that."

"I won't. Thanks, Amanda."

Akko's phone rang out through the kitchen as she was sitting back down at the table to eat her lunch. She pulled it out and saw a text from Diana. When she read the message, her eyes went wide.

"Holy shit." The brunette breathed out in disbelief.

"What?" Amanda asked with a mouthful of food.

"Chariot's going to France to confront Gabriel!"

* * *

Diana's and Chariot's heels click clacked down the tiled hall of the luxurious apartment building. Akko trailed behind with Croix, both of them admiring the confident stature of the women leading the way, both proud of their respective partners. Akko might have been admiring Diana a little too much, as she eyed her girlfriend up and down from behind, but who could blame her when the blonde was currently wearing her best power suit. The brunette would never get used to the feelings that arose in her when she saw Diana in a suit. Oh the things it did to her.

Diana and Chariot seemed to be strategizing quietly as they grew closer and closer the their destination, which was the home of Gabriel Moreau. With each step Akko grew more uneasy, hoping that she was the only one feeling that way because they needed someone who wasn't going to be a complete mess. She was not looking forward to seeing the woman responsible for her broken ankle again. The woman had no remorse, didn't care how many people she hurt as long as she got what she wanted in the end. But that was precisely why they were here. It was going to stop today. She would no longer be a threat, and Chariot would no longer be forced to live with guilt that wasn't hers to live with in the first place.

"That's it." Diana said loud enough for all of them to hear as she pointed at the next door. The blonde, Akko and Croix all kept walking forward, but upon seeing the door, Chariot stopped hard in her tracks.

"Wait."

The three of them turned to the redhead who now seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack. She was taking deep breaths and her hands were balled into shaking fists. Akko's eyes widened at the sight of her coach. Croix rushed over and put both hands on Chariots shoulders, whispering what was most likely comforting words to her fiance. Diana bumped the brunette, shaking her out of her shock before looking over to see the blonde's concerned look. Diana then nodded her head toward the panicking woman, urging Akko to do something. After a deep breath and a determined nod, the brunette slowly walked over to where Chariot and Croix stood, the lilac haired woman moving aside willingly when Akko approached. The brunette took the redhead's shaking hands into her own, making Chariot look up in surprise at the new contact.

"Chariot, you can do this." Akko started, squeezing the older woman's hands in reassurance. "You always taught me to stand strong in the face of adversity, long before you even knew I existed. I got through the darkest period of my life because you inspired me to be strong." The brunette stepped back slightly and held her head high. "I think it's about time you listen to your past self. You are strong and you will not let her control you anymore. Believe in yourself, Chariot du Nord. Because we believe in you, and we will be beside you the whole time."

Akko's talk had worked as the redhead's hands had stopped shaking completely. The woman stared back at the brunette, a proud smile slowly making it's way onto her face.

"Akko, I am honored to be able to take any amount credit for the woman you've become. You have inspired me more than you could ever know, and you continue to amaze me every day with just how strong you are."

Akko began to blush at the praise, looking down at the floor as her face burned.

"Thank you, Akko." Chariot said, before she took one last deep breath and continued her confident walk toward Gabriel's door. "I can do this." She spoke determinedly before stopping and knocking hard three times before she could even think about it.

They stood there for a few moments before the door opened slowly and Gabriel appeared, the smug smile that seemed to be forever glued to her face was present as expected.

"Well well, you are the last person I ever thought I'd see at..." She trailed off as she spotted the other three woman standing around her. "my door." She arched a brow when her gazed paused on Akko's glare before slowly turning back to Chariot. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Silence fell over the group as Gabriel waited for a reply. Diana glanced sideways at the red headed woman, seeing that her jaw was clenched so hard that she was surprised Chariot's teeth hadn't shattered yet. Deciding she needed to get things going, she cleared her throat and turned toward the doorway once more.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Moreau. If we could have just a few minutes of your time, we have some things we'd like to discuss with you."

Gabriel's expressionless gaze never left Chariot's furious one, not even when she was being addressed by Diana. The woman's eyes narrowed slightly before finally turning to the blonde to acknowledge that she had heard her.

"Of course, come in." Gabriel stepped to the side to let the women in before she stuck out her arm before Croix could cross the threshold. "Not you." She glared at the lilac haired woman who glared back in response.

"Still so childish, Gabby. Here I thought we could act like adults and have a civilized conversation." Croix responded sarcastically, not at all offended or surprised by the French woman's actions.

"Pfft. Civilized. Croix the day you can hold a civilized conversation with me will be the day pigs fly. Now stay out." She said the last part through grit teeth before she slammed the door in Croix face.

The French woman turned around and walked by the three startled women as if nothing had happened.

"Please, have a seat." Gabriel gestured to her sitting area as she herself took the biggest chair. After sitting and crossing her legs, she looked expectantly at Chariot. "If we could get this over with as soon as possible, I'd appreciate it. I have far more important things I need to be doing today."

"I really doubt that, Gabriel." The red headed woman spoke for the first time since seeing her ex-friend. Her tone was one of utter annoyance, which really surprised the others in the room. They all looked at her like she was a completely different person. "Let's just get to it then. Diana?"

"Yes, let's. Ms. Moreau, my name is Diana-"

"Cavendish. Yes, of course I know who you are." Gabriel rolled her eyes. "Why don't you skip the pleasantries and tell me why you, of all people, are here."

Diana's hand, which had been holding Akko's since they walked in, tightened around the brunette's almost to the point of pain. Akko glanced sideways to see her girlfriend's terrifyingly calm stare, and worried that this conversation was derail completely before it really even started. It was amazing how quickly this woman had gotten under both Diana's and Chariot's skin. It was then that her knuckle popped in the blonde's vice like grip and she couldn't help but let out a quiet whimper as she tried to pry Diana's fingers away. The blonde finally noticed and released Akko's fingers, flashing an apologetic smile in the process.

"Right to it then. I hired a team to investigate the events that transpired in the match between your team and Luna Nova's field hockey team. And additionally any questionable match before that, including the time when you were teammates with Ms. Du Nord." Diana said as professional as always. This was her business voice, it was cold and disconnected, but it had it's uses when her emotions threatened to get the best of her.

Gabriel narrowed her eyes at the blonde, looking for any sign of a bluff. She shifted in her seat slightly, instantly giving away that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"And?" The woman asked with false confidence.

"And, Ms. Moreau, we've compiled quite the list of damning evidence for your involvement in numerous acts of questionable legality." Diana smirked as Gabriel's uninterested expression faltered.

"Are you planning on taking me to court, Ms. Cavendish?" The French woman's tone turned harsh as she was now seething with anger. Her usual calm facade had come undone completely.

"To be honest I've wasted enough money on you as it is, Ms. Moreau. We all know you have a habit of throwing money at your problems to make them go away but I'm afraid it won't work for you this time." The blonde's icy calm demeanor only seemed to anger the woman more.

"So what is this then?"

"This is a show of our mercy, Gabriel." Chariot finally spoke as she held out a piece of paper for Gabriel to take, which she did after eyeing it warily.

After reading through what was on the letter, Gabriel gasped and looked up at them wide eyed.

"A ban? How dare you even try to do this to me!" The woman shouted and stood up, looming over the other three. "I am on very good terms with the commissioner and he would never allow such-"

"Oh." Diana said loudly and held up a hand to immediately shut the ranting woman up. "Good terms you say? Then you would know that Mr. Jones officially retired earlier this week. I'm afraid he wasn't as loyal as you thought Ms. Moreau. In fact, he was the first to give us his full cooperation during the investigation."

Gabriel stood wide eyed and frozen, finger still up from the attempt to scold them just seconds earlier. She visibly gulped as her eyes began to flit from person to person before Diana continued.

"But feel free to file a complaint against me to the new commissioner, though I doubt it would do you any good." The blonde smiled toothily as Gabriel blinked, still processing all the information.

"Who?" The French woman meekly asked.

"Oh, how rude of me. I thought you two were acquainted." Diana cleared her throat and gestured toward Chariot who sat beside her. "Ms. Moreau, I'd like to introduce you to the new league commissioner, Chariot du Nord."

"What?" Gabriel half shouted in shock. "You? How?"

"Gabriel, it doesn't really matter, does it?" Chariot spoke more softly than before. "You've done this to yourself. You are banned from any type of involvement in the leagues, meaning college level and upward. If we've found that you've violated any of the terms on that document, every single piece of evidence we have will be made public. Your reputation, along with the reputation of anyone who has ever worked for you or played for you will be ruined."

Gabriel's jaw tightened as she backed away slowly and flopped back into her chair. She stared at the floor for a very long time, seeming to have finally accepted that this was real.

"Why didn't you just do that to begin with?" The woman's voice cracked as she asked that, gaze still locked on the floor. "After everything I put you through. And what I did to her." Gabriel finally looked up and locked eyes with Akko for a split second before her gaze landed on Chariot.

"Because, Gabriel. I couldn't do that to you, even if what you did to me is unforgivable. You took away almost everything I held dear in my life. I will not stoop so selfishly low as to destroy someone's life for revenge." Chariot leaned back in her chair and stared at the wall behind Gabriel. "I'm going to change this sport for the better. The girls deserve a sport void of political agenda and corruption. So unfortunately, you no longer have a future within the league."

"No." Gabriel whispered to no one in particular. "No this can't be happening."

"Please read that document over well, Ms. Moreau." Diana stood up, pulling Akko up along with her. "I wish I could say it was a pleasure."

"No, please." The French woman stood up quickly. "You can't do this to me! This sport is my life!"

"I know." Chariot stood up as well and began to walk toward the door, Diana and Akko in tow. "Maybe now you'll finally understand how much you hurt me when you took it away from me." She spoke quietly as she opened the front door of Gabriel's apartment and walk out without looking back. "Goodbye, Gabby."

Diana and Akko followed, the latter looking back over her shoulder to see Gabriel curling up into herself on the large chair she occupied. She almost felt bad for the woman. But she knew that Chariot could have done much worse. A ban was a small price to pay at this point. She was very proud of the older redhead for having mercy on her enemy, even if that enemy deserved much worse. It was at times like these that Akko remembers exactly why Chariot was her idol.

Once the three of them were outside the apartment, the red headed woman sighed in relief when Croix immediately appeared at her side.

"It's finally over, Croix."

The lilac haired woman sighed herself and pulled Chariot in for a tight hug, Croix whispering into the redhead's ear. Meanwhile Akko turned to Diana and flashed a brilliant smile.

"You were so amazing, Diana!" The brunette threw herself at her girlfriend, giggling when Diana squeaked before full contact was made. As they hugged tightly, Chariot approached them, hand in hand with her fiance.

"Thank you, so much. Both of you. I could never repay you enough for everything you've done for me."

"No need, Chariot." Diana stated as she put her arm around Akko's waist and pulled her close. She then turned to the red headed woman and smiled warmly. "I look forward to working with you in the future."

Chariot and Croix smiled fondly at Akko and Diana before they passed the two and continued walking down the hall together. They watched as the redhead wrapped herself around her fiance's arm and kissed her on the cheek before leaning her head Croix's shoulder as they walked slowly down the corridor. Diana smiled at the adorable older women before Akko took her hand. The blonde looked over and saw that her girlfriend had been watching the two women as well, smiling at them adoringly.

"What are you thinking, love?" Diana asked softly as she brought Akko's hand to her lips for a kiss.

"I'm thinking..." The brunette trailed off and turned to face her girlfriend with a thoughtful expression on her face. "That I have the most amazing girlfriend in the world." Akko smiled brightly, making Diana melt in an instant. "Oh. You're like batman!"

"...Pardon?" The words were like ice cold water being dumped on the blonde.

"I was like, Diana could be a super hero! But which one? I've been thinking about it since we were in that lady's apartment. I was bored. Anyway, you're like, a female version of batman! You're rich and powerful and...oh we can be the justice league! Who could I be? I think I'm-mmff."

Diana had been trying to pay attention to the ramblings, but it had been like Akko was speaking another language as usual. Since they started dating, she had found the best way to stop her girlfriend from rambling, and it benefited the both of them. The blonde leaned in and effectively quieted Akko mid sentence with a deep kiss. Smiling into it when the brunette let out a surprised moan. Only when Diana was desperate for the intake of air did she pull away and take a deep breath. Akko did the same, though she seemed to be a little disoriented from what had just happened.

"W-why did you do that?" The brunette held her hands to her chest.

"...I'm batman." Diana said simply and shrugged before she began to walk down the hall. Akko snorted loudly and giggled.

"You're not supposed to say it like that. You have to be like...I'm batman." The last words came out as a low throaty growl as the brunette followed after her girlfriend.

"I think not."

"Come on, Diana! Say it like that!"

"Don't push it."

"Just one more time!"

"No."

"Pleeeease, for me?"

"Absolutely not."

"You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Do you want to walk back to the airport?"

* * *

 **A/N: Hey peoples! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **So I just wanted to give y'all a heads up that the next chapter will be the END OF THE MAIN STORY! After that, we will be jumping ahead to the future for the remaining chapters. They will be like...mini stories covering future events. Or something like that. We'll figure it out.**

 **Thank you to everyone taking the time out of your day to read this crazy fic. I have been blessed with so much much support from this amazing community. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!**

 **See you next week!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 _Movin' On Up_

Akko sat alone at her desk inside her almost empty bedroom, staring at the only photo left on the wall. The photo was of herself and Olivia, the last one taken of them before her best friend had passed away. As she was packing the items from her desk and walls, this picture made her pause. As she stared, she couldn't help but miss her friend immensely during this life changing event she was about to undergo. Akko wanted so bad to be able talk to Olivia, to tell her about everything that had happened to her in the past year. To tell her about this girl that had turned her life upside down, the girl that makes her happier than she ever thought she could be, the girl she loved more than anything in the world.

"Hey Olivia." Akko whispered to the picture, as if her old friend could hear her. Maybe she could, the brunette could hope, couldn't she? "You wouldn't believe what's going on in my life right now." She laughed quietly and leaned back in her chair. "I found someone, Liv. She's so amazing, and driven, and sweet and...I don't know what I did to deserve her but..." Akko smiled warmly at the thought of her girlfriend and sighed dreamily. "I love her so much. I...I just wish you could meet her. I wish she could meet you. I think you two would have gotten along great." She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them as her smile turned sad. "I miss you, Olivia. I always will. But I'm healing, finally. That emptiness I've been feeling...I don't feel empty at all anymore. Diana helped me put the pieces back together whether she knows it or not. She...she completes me." After a moment, Akko chuckled. "God that was cheesy, but...it's true. I never knew what that meant until I met her." She stood up and carefully took the picture off of the wall and smiled down at it in her hand. "I'm ready. And I know you'll be with me every step of the way." Akko dropped the picture into the small box housing the others and closed it before putting it in a bigger box on her bed. Only then did she notice the figure standing in the doorway.

"You're right, that was pretty cheesy." Amanda smirked as she folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. "Diana would have swooned hard over how romantic that was."

"Shut up." Akko said, trying to act annoyed, but couldn't keep a smile off of her lips.

"Oh Akko!" The redhead exclaimed in a voice a few octaves higher as she brought both hands up to her heart. "Akko you're so romantic! Love me! Want me! Date me! Marry me!"

"Will you-" The brunette snorted as Amanda jokingly fainted onto the bed next to the open box. "Will you stop?" She asked between bouts of laughter. "You're one to talk." Akko gasped as she put her hands up to her heart, imitating Amanda. "Oh Hannah! My love. Yes, dear. Of course, dear. Anything you say, dear. Smooch smooch smooch-"

"Okay, that's it." Amanda stood up quickly off of the bed and pulled Akko into a headlock and fell back onto the bed. Soon they were both laughing so hard, tears formed at the corner of their eyes. The redhead let go and after a moment of catching their breath, they both sighed in content as they lay on their backs, side by side. "We both got it pretty bad for those girls huh?" Amanda smiled at the ceiling.

"Yeah, we really do." Akko replied with her own lopsided smile.

"I'm gonna miss this. But I'm really happy for you, Akko. For you and Diana. And..." The redhead paused before looking over at the brunette. "And wherever Olivia is, I'm sure she's happy that you finally found your happiness again."

"We're happy for you too!"

Akko and Amanda sat up quickly to find Lotte smiling at them from the doorway, their other three housemates standing behind her also nodding in agreement. Although Sucy's nod was barely visible, Akko could tell from the slight upturn of her lips, even her usually uninterested purple haired friend was happy for her. Suddenly, tears began to pool at the corners of her eyes as she felt the love and support of her friends overwhelm her.

"Lotte, Sucy, Jasminka, Cons," The brunette voice cracked as the tears began to fall freely. "Thank you. I'm going to miss you guuuys!" She opened her arms and Lotte surged forward, her own tears falling now, and crashed into Akko for a tight hug. The brunette then felt three others join the hug.

"You guys do know that she'll only be ten minutes away right?" Sucy interjected flatly.

"But it won't be the same!" Lotte squeaked out from the pile of bodies.

Sucy rolled her eyes and smiled at her friends. She did agree though, it wouldn't be the same without Akko.

* * *

"Where would you like us to put this, miss?"

One of the moving men addressed Diana as they were ready to place Akko's piano down in their new apartment. She looked up from the box she was unpacking and pursed her lips for a moment.

"In that corner by the window, thank you." The blonde pointed across the large living area.

The man nodded and began directing the others as they moved the large object. Diana watched closely as they moved it, hoping they hadn't left as much as a single scratch on the thing that Akko had called her baby multiple times when they were researching moving companies together. The blonde didn't think it was possible to be jealous of an inanimate object, turns out she was wrong. She laughed silently to herself and shook those thoughts from her head as she took some items out of the box in front of her and walked to the kitchen to put them away.

"Hey Diana!" Barbara called out from the doorway. She was holding something that had been wrapped elegantly in beautiful wrapping paper, Hannah stood behind her. Once they spotted the blonde in the kitchen, they hesitantly stepped over the threshold.

"Hello, girls." Diana smiled warmly at her two best friends as she stood up and closed the cabinet she had opened. She noticed her friends looked downtrodden as they walked slowly over to where she stood.

"So how is the unpacking going?" Barbara asked meekly. He usual bubbly nature all but gone, saddening Diana.

"Oh. It's going alright. Just unpacking some essentials before the party tonight." The blonde clasped her hands behind her back and looked down at the ground. An awkward silence fell over the three girls for a long moment before Hannah stepped forward.

"We brought you something. For your new place." The auburn haired girl smiled genuinely, nudging Barbara slightly and reminding her she was holding a gift.

"Oh! Right. We...uh...we made this for you as a moving out gift." The black haired girl held out the gift for Diana to take, letting a small smile show through.

"So you won't forget us." Hannah added.

"Girls, I literally moved three doors down from you." The blonde arched her eyebrow in amusement as she took the gift and removed the wrapping paper. She let the paper fall to the ground as she stared at the framed picture in her hands. A bright smile instantly made it's way onto her face as she saw three excited girls staring back at her, all holding up peace signs and smiling as if it was the best night of their young lives. It was a picture of Diana, Hannah and Barbara on the first night they had lived together. One of the blonde's fondest memories frozen in time for her to look at whenever she would miss her friends. Her gaze paused on her younger self. It had only been a year, but that girl she saw was a very different person than who she was now. That girl thought she was happy, she thought that she had everything, that she didn't need anything or anyone else in her life. If only that girl knew that in less than a year, she would be proven wrong. She would find everything she didn't know she needed in a beautiful, hyperactive Japanese girl. And that girl would become her everything. Of course a younger Diana would have rolled her eyes and scoffed at the very idea of it. But the blonde had never been so happy to be proven wrong in her life.

"So..."

Barbara's voice snapped Diana out of her thoughts. How long had she been spacing out? The blonde looked up to two pairs of expectant eyes and grinned at her best friends.

"I absolutely love it. I...thank you, girls." She looked down at the picture once more, now focusing on the other two in the picture. "You both have been so good to me. I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

Hannah and Barbara beamed and shot forward, enveloping a giggling Diana in a tight hug.

"And I expect you two to be over quite often. I'm sure to go through some kind of withdrawal without my best friends." The blonde said softly as her hold became a little tighter around the other two girls.

"Of course we will. You would go crazy spending every minute alone with that dunce." Hannah's tone wasn't insulting at all as she had grown to actually enjoy Akko's presence, but she would never admit it out loud.

After a fit of giggles from the three girls, they finally let go of each other and stepped back.

"Do you need any help, Diana?" Barbara asks hopefully. "What about the party? Do you want help picking out what to wear? Do you know what you're wearing? What? Why are you laughing?"

While the black haired girl was rambling on, Diana had begun shaking with silent laughter. After shaking her head she smiled adoringly.

"I'm going to miss this. But yes, I do know what what I'm wearing." The blonde then smiled mischievously and arched her brow. "Do you want to see?"

Hannah and Barbara opened their mouths and looked at each other in confusion before nodding slowly. They followed the blonde toward what they figured was the bedroom.

"I was quite surprised to find out the dress code was to be formal. Odd, don't you think?" Diana asked as she opened the door and walked into the room, followed by her friends. The bedroom was still quite empty except for a very large bed against the far wall.

"It was Amanda's idea actually. Apparently she wants an excuse to wear a suit or whatever." Hannah rolled her eyes, but her nonchalance was betrayed by the slight blush creeping up her cheeks. She hoped the others wouldn't notice, but that hope shattered when she noticed Barbara smirking at her. Instead of replying, she stuck out her tongue and focused her attention on Diana who was walking out of the large walk in closet holding up a black garment bag.

The blonde strode over to the bed and laid the bag down flat before unzipping it to reveal what was inside. What was inside made Hannah and Barbara's jaws drop. Diana took the dress out and held it up as her friends circled around it to see every angle.

"Wha...I...wow." Barbara sputtered out as she stared wide eyed.

"Yeah." Hannah agreed as she slid her fingers down the dress, tracing the outline of where the back should be. "This is..."

"Gorgeous!" The black haired girl finished excitedly.

"Do you think Akko will like it?" Diana asked as she scrutinized the dress.

"Is that a joke?" The auburn haired girl's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Diana, she might actually die tonight when she sees you."

"RIP Akko." Barbara added in agreement. "Speaking of, do you know what she's wearing tonight?"

"I honestly have no idea. I'm not sure what kind of formal wear she even owns." Diana bit her lip and looked at the dress one more time. "Maybe this is too much. Maybe I sh-"

"NO!" Hannah and Barbara both screamed in unison, making the blonde jump. The two looked at each other in surprise before turning back to their friend.

"You definitely should wear this!" The black haired girl urged.

"Knowing Amanda, she will take care of Akko. I'm sure...oh." Hannah paused and put a finger up to her chin. "What if Akko wears the suit this time? I wonder how she looks in a suit? ...Diana?"

Hannah furrowed her brows at her blonde friend, who seemed to have stopped functioning. She waved her hand in front of Diana's face, but was met with nothing.

"Is...she broken?" Barbara poked the blonde's shoulder to test out the theory.

"I...don't know. Come on Barb, let's...uh...go get some lunch." Hannah backed away slowly, and turned around to walk toward the door. Barbara followed and once they made it into the hallway, the auburn haired girl continued. "I'm going to have to give Amanda a call."

"You're not going to..."

"Akko is going to be in a suit. Even if I have to pay for it myself."

"Well, this is going to end well."

* * *

"Akko! Akko come out!"

"No!"

"Why not? I'm sure you look fine!"

Amanda stood outside of Akko's former room, doing up her tie and waiting for her friend to come out. But for some odd reason, the brunette was refusing.

"But it's...weird!" Akko whined from inside the room. "Why am I wearing a suit again? This is Diana's thing!"

"Because you don't have any formal clothes! Beggars can't be choosers Akko!"

"Ugh! I hate you!"

"Love you too, friend. Now come out."

The door opened just a crack, the brunette's glaring eye staring right at the redhead.

"Akko, stop being so immature. People will be here soon." Amanda raised her wrist up and tapped on her watch.

Akko sighed and opened the door all of the way, revealing her full outfit. Amanda's eyebrows rose as she looked her friend up and down. A dark red dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a black tie tucked into a black suit vest. Lower was a pair of form fitting black suit pants leading down to black….

"Converse shoes? Where'd the dress shoes go that I gave you?"

"I'll wear your suit, but I draw the line at shoes." Akko folded her arms in defiance and stared back, unwavering.

The redhead snickered at that while she put her hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. What about the hat?"

"The fedora? You really want me to wear a fedora?"

"You'd look bad ass, Akko. And just think about what Diana's gonna think. Eh?" Amanda wiggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively. Akko narrowed her eyes and bit her lip before looking back into the room in contemplation.

"You think she'll like it?"

"Dude, just trust me on this one." The redhead put a reassuring hand on the brunette's shoulder and nodded confidently.

Akko sighed and retreated back into the room and returned with the black fedora in her hands. She fidgeted with it nervously before she brought it up to her head and put it on. She looked sheepishly up at her friend, waiting for a reaction. Amanda just smiled brightly and nodded vehemently before putting two thumbs up.

"Now you're off to Lotte for make-up."

"EH?!"

"Akko! You look amazing!" Lotte bounded down the hallway with sparkles in her eyes.

"EEH?! Make-up? Why do I need make-uuuup?" Akko whined as she was being dragged into the bathroom before the door was shut and Amanda was left alone in the hallway snickering to herself.

"Do it for your princess, Akko!"

"I hate you!" The brunette called out from the other side of the door.

Amanda laughed out loud and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen where the champagne and wine were set up on the table, bottles and fancy glasses ware organized on an elegant table cloth. She poured herself a glass of wine and looked at her watch once more and then pulled out her phone, noticing that she had an unread message from her girlfriend. Hannah had been hounding her about Akko's suit, and she was struggling to figure out why the auburn haired girl had all the sudden become so concerned about Akko's wardrobe. But she shrugged and replied before chugging the rest of the wine in the glass and looked toward the empty space where Akko's piano had once stood. It was odd, the feelings swelling up inside of her when she thought about her best friend moving away. She was happy for Akko, of course, but for over a year, the brunette had been by her side through everything, they had been together every day, they had countless memories of happy and sad moments in this house. And tonight would be the first night that Akko would officially not live there. She felt like breaking down and crying, but she also felt like smiling for her friend at the same time. It was confusing, and she didn't like it.

Amanda sighed and poured herself another drink before Akko and Lotte came into view as they walked down the stairs. The redhead watched them bicker for a moment and smiled as the orange haired girl fixed the defiant brunette's tie. After Lotte walked away, Akko loosened her tie once more before walking over to where Amanda stood at the table and poured herself a glass of wine and grimaced at the first sip, not used to the taste of the liquid. They stood there in silence, a sudden somber mood surrounding them as neither girl knew what to say. Luckily there came a knock on the door and both girls put their wine glasses down as the rest of the girls made their way down the stairs in their formal dresses, except for Constanze who refused to get dressed up. The brunette was a little envious of the short girl, wishing she could have worn jeans and a t-shirt instead of this uncomfortable suit. Ever since she'd put it on, she wondered how Diana wore these things so often. And then it hit her, what if her girlfriend wore a suit? That would be weird right? Or would it be? She honestly had no idea. Akko was so lost in thought she hadn't noticed that Amanda had left her side to answer the door, and when she returned, the brunette perked up, thinking that it was going to be Diana trailing after but to her disappointment, it was just the neighbors, Avery and Mary. Akko's shoulders slumped and she picked up her wine glass once more to take a sip.

"I saw that."

The brunette jumped and turned around to find Sucy standing next to the table looking bored.

"Saw what?" Akko raised an eyebrow at her friend.

Sucy sighed and rolled her one visible eye before taking a step closer to the brunette.

"You two have been together for months, Akko. Yet you look nervous as hell right now. What gives?" The purple haired girl almost sounded interested in the answer as she poured herself a glass of champagne.

"I don't know. It's just...different. Everything's changing." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck before continuing. "This is the first night of my new life. I feel like it's our first date all over again." She laughed nervously and chanced a look at Sucy who looked back at her, expressionless.

"And another chance to make a fool of yourself all over again."

"Hey!"

"Ugh. I can't do this. Tell Lotte I tried."

"What? What does that-"

Somebody cleared their throat loudly to get attention of the two bickering girls. They both looked around in confusion as everyone stared at them in amusement before Akko's eyes landed on a figure in the entrance to the kitchen. Suddenly the world faded away as she took in the sight of her girlfriend. An angel, a goddess, all the words Akko could think of at that very moment to describe Diana just didn't seem to do her justice as she stood there in that dress. The color was the lightest of blues, a soft fabric flowing down to her ankles. From where the brunette stood, she could tell the dress would be backless, as the fabric wrapped around the back of her neck and crossed over her chest, the neckline plummeting down so far that the brunette's mouth went completely dry at the sight. Her hair was up in an adorably messy bun with stray locks of her adorning each side of her beautiful face. Sparkling jewelry completed the ensemble, adding the last touch of elegance. Nothing could have prepared Akko to see the blonde like this, and she was left wondering why this gorgeous person had chosen to be with her. It was definitely not the first time she had wondered that, and probably far from the last time. She was truly blessed to call Diana hers, and she would remember to thank whatever God that was listening for this wonderful person's existence.

Diana smiled shyly as Akko continued to stare opened mouthed. The blonde was bumped from behind, and when she turned, Hannah was smiling knowingly at her. The auburn haired girl nodded toward the brunette and then walked toward where Amanda was standing in the living room, watching the whole scene in amusement and nursing a glass of wine. The blonde glared at her slightly and then turned back to find Akko finally making her way toward her. Her heart began to race as she took in the brunette's appearance. Diana couldn't have imagined how good Akko would look in a suit, and honestly, she hoped it wouldn't be the last time she'd see it.

"Hey." The brunette said shyly as she stopped in front of the blonde, finally averting her eyes as to not overexert her heart more than she already had.

"Hello, Akko." Diana replied softly, smiling at her suddenly blushing girlfriend. "You look wonderful tonight."

"Eh? W-well...thanks. But do you see yourself?" Akko held out her arms and looked over the blonde once more. "You look amazing, Diana! I didn't think it was possible for you to get anymore gorgeous, but here you are wearing...that. Are you even real?"

"I..." Diana trailed off, her eyebrows raised at the question. A warmth immediately made it's way to her cheeks as she opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with a reply to the sudden compliments. "T-thank you, Akko." She said quietly before grinning and reaching out to tip Akko's hat back. The blonde then leaned in and placed a quick kiss on the brunette's lips before pulling away only slightly. "Remind me to thank Amanda for making this a formal event."

"Yeah." Akko breathed out as her eyelids fluttered open, now gazing at bright blue eyes only inches away.

For a moment, they stared lovingly at each other until Diana remembered they were not alone and there were probably many sets of eyes watching her completely losing herself in deep crimson. She immediately straightened up and looked around and took a deep breath in an attempt to compose herself. Akko caught on and finally snapped out of her daze just in time to hear a clinking of metal on glass. The pair turned to see Amanda standing on the coffee table in the middle of the large living area with a glass of champagne in one hand and a fork in the other.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for being here tonight. Please help yourselves to drinks and appetizers provided by our own Jasminka. In just a few minutes, we will be beginning the main event of the evening chosen by our special guest, Akko. So enjoy everyone!" She lifted her wine glass and everyone who had a glass in their hand held theirs up as well before they all took a sip together. The redhead then jumped down and began chatting with Constanze in front of the TV, the shorter girl holding a handful of wires.

"Akko?"

"Hmm?" Akko hummed as she downed the last of her wine.

"Exactly what is the main event?" Diana asked hesitantly. She loved her girlfriend very much but any activity she might choose for a party had to be on the crazy side. The thought was confirmed when the brunette flashed a mischievous smile her way.

"Karaoke." Akko sang as she held up her hand, acting as if she was holding an invisible microphone.

"Of course. Why am even surprised?" The blonde laughed exasperatedly and shook her head.

"You're going to sing right?" The brunette hugged Diana's arm and looked at her hopefully.

'Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Don't look at her.' The blonde thought over and over in her head. If she avoided eye contact, she could say no. She would be fine. Right?

"I don't think so, Akko." Diana said, attempting to keep her voice from wavering.

"Come on Diana! Pleeease?" Akko moved to stand right in front of her girlfriend, looking up at her with her bottom lip out. Although the blonde did not see that lip as she was now looking straight over the brunette's head.

"No."

Akko reached up and cupped Diana's cheek. The blonde leaning into it on instinct and closed her eyes.

"Please Diana? For me?"

Diana froze at the quiet pleading from her girlfriend and opened her eyes slowly. That was a mistake. Because what she was met with was the most adorable pout she'd ever seen, and that's saying something coming from Akko. The blonde let out a long exaggerated sigh and rubbed her forehead.

"I really need a drink."

"Ah. This way gorgeous." The brunette winked and took Diana's hand to lead her to the drink table.

The blonde giggled and her mood lightened a bit at the playful remark, but the anxiety was ever present in the back of her mind. Karaoke. She had never sang in front of anyone but Akko before, although she's sure Hannah and Barbara had heard her sing in the shower at one point or another when she'd get carried away. But karaoke? Singing in front of all these people who had nothing better to do than listen to her, and watch her, and judge her. God, she was taking this way too seriously.

"Your wine m'lady." Akko held out a glass of wine and bowed to Diana, making the blonde chuckle and roll her eyes before reaching out and taking the offered drink.

"Just how much have you had to drink already?"

"Only one glass. But damn, that stuff is strong. You might want to take it..." Akko trailed off as she watched Diana down her whole glass of alcohol in one go. "slow." The brunette arched her brow at her girlfriend. "Wow. You really needed that drink huh?"

"Yes. In order to endure the upcoming...activities, I think a copious amount of alcohol is essential."

"Why are you talking weird?"

"This wine is very strong." Diana tipped her glass up side down before eyeing the drink table before coming to the decision that she needed more. Before she could walk toward it, a hand grabbed her own, stopping her from moving any further.

"Hey, Diana." Akko pulled the blonde closer and leaned in, lips only an inch away from her ear. "Don't drink too much. I want you sober for later." She whispered and then quickly retreated into the living room where everyone was now gathering.

Diana swallowed thickly as she watched Akko go, thoughts of 'later' suddenly clouding her mind. Now she had a very important decision to make. Drink to make karaoke a little more bearable, or not drink for…'later' things. Well that's about the easiest decision she'd ever have to make. Diana set her glass down on the table and set out to find her girlfriend, who was saving her a place next to her on the couch. The bright smile she received when she approached Akko elicited a fluttering in her belly as usual. The blonde reciprocated the smile and sat down, immediately nuzzling into her girlfriend to get comfortable as the brunette put her arm around her shoulders. Diana sighed happily as she crossed one leg over the other and readied herself for what was going to be quite the show.

To start off the main event of the evening, Amanda performed a stirring rendition of 'Baby Got Back' by sir mix-a-lot. Hannah had her face buried in her hands through the whole performance, no doubt rethinking her choice in her romantic interest, especially when the redhead would turn around and shake her butt during the chorus.

Next came Lotte, who dragged Sucy on stage with her. The pair teamed together to sing 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper. While Lotte sang most of the song, Sucy would join in with her usual monotone voice during the chorus, making for a very unusual dynamic. But nobody failed to notice the slight smiles the purple haired girl would flash her girlfriend when they would look into each other's eyes as they sang, even if Sucy tried her best to keep an uninterested expression throughout the performance.

Hannah and Barbara walked up to the front of the room together and spent a while picking out a song. Although Diana had a very good idea of what they would choose after knowing them for so long. They had an odd obsession with a certain female singer that always puzzled her. The song started and the blonde's suspicions had been correct. The pair sang 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' by Britney Spears. Akko snickered quietly next to Diana, who smiled adoringly at her closest friends. Hannah and Barbara rather enjoyed the spotlight and gave a very entertaining performance if the blonde was being honest.

"Akko! You're up!" Amanda called out as she walked over to Akko and Diana with a microphone.

Without hesitation, the brunette shot up from the couch and bounced on her heels happily as she took the offered microphone. She then turned to Diana and leaned down until she was eye level with her girlfriend.

"This song is for you, Diana."

The blonde's heart melted from the warmth Akko was radiating. The song dedication and the amount of love she could see in those bright crimson eyes reminded her just how lucky she was to have Akko in her life. Her girlfriend was truly amazing. Of course, that warmth lasted only until the music began and she could immediately tell what it was. The brunette had sang this song to her in the car, and it had made her blush fiercely. Now she was in a room full of people, and Akko was singing directly to her while dancing rather scandalously.

 _ **You so fuckin' precious when you smile**_

 _ **Hit it from the back and drive you wild**_

 _ **yeah yeah**_

Diana's face turned bright red in record time as Akko winked at her while she sang. 'Oh my gooood' she internally groaned while she watched.

 _ **Girl, I lose myself up in those eyes.**_

 _ **I just had to let you know you're mine**_

Akko was certainly putting on a show now. This was really the first time Diana had heard her girlfriend sing seriously since they had met, and she was very impressed by the brunette's singing. She'd probably be even more impressed if the lyrics Akko was singing and the way she was dancing wasn't currently turning the blonde's face into a blazing furnace.

 _ **Hands on your body, I don't wanna waste no time**_

 _ **Feels like forever, even if forever's tonight**_

 _ **Just lay with me, waste this night away with me**_

 _ **You're mine, I can't look away, I just gotta say**_

As the song went on, whoops and cheers came from the small crowd, especially at the times when the lyrics would surely embarrass Diana the most. Akko had caught on to the blonde's embarrassment about half way through the song and took advantage by acting extra seductive at the most appropriate, or inappropriate, times. By the grace of the gods, the song was short one. Diana made a point to avoid eye contact with the brunette when she came to sit back down, making Akko chuckle and kiss the blonde on her still burning hot cheek. Unfortunately for Diana, the embarrassment wasn't over.

"Alright Cavendish, your turn!" Amanda stood in front of the blonde, who didn't immediately take the microphone from her hand. "Come on princess, I know you have a great voice."

"My level of talent is not the issue here O'Neill." Diana glared up at smirking redhead, who was not affected by the look at all.

"Look, Diana. You really don't have to if you don't want to. But I have a song queued up that's perfect for you. Just trust me." Amanda said, her tone turning serious.

"Trust you?" The blonde scoffed before she chanced a glance at Akko to her right.

"It's okay if you don't want to." The brunette reassured her girlfriend. "I don't want you to feel pressured. I was joking earlier you know." Akko's eyes were full of genuine concern as she noticed just how nervous Diana actually was.

"No. No, I want to. I just..." The blonde trailed off as she swallowed dryly and let out a shaky breath. "I think I'll be fine once I start singing."

"Ayyee! That's our girl!" Amanda once again held out the microphone and Diana didn't hesitate to take it this time.

With a determined nod, the blonde stood up and walked confidently to the front of the room and the redhead took her place at the computer controlling the whole karaoke system.

"Ready?" Amanda called out one last time.

Diana took one more look at Akko, who gave her an encouraging double thumbs up. The blonde smiled and nodded in the redheads direction, confirming that she was indeed ready. Amanda clicked a button and a piano melody filled the room. Diana recognized it immediately and glared her most poisonous glare at the redheaded girl who was obviously begging for a slap to the face. The blonde shook her head and began walking angrily back to the couch but was intercepted by her girlfriend before she could make it. The music stopped and Amanda stifled a laugh at Diana's reaction. Akko gave the redhead an exasperated look before pulling the blonde to the side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know she was going to pick that song." The brunette whispered in a hurry. "But it is a good song. I actually really like it. But you don't have to sing it if you don't want to. I understand complet-"

Akko's ramblings were cut off as Diana's finger was pressed to her lips. The blonde sighed and fidgeted with the microphone still held in her hands.

"Will you...sing with me, Akko?" Diana asked sheepishly.

The brunette's eyes went wide but she smiled brightly when she realized that the blonde was agreeing to sing the song.

"Of course!" She replied excitedly before dragging Diana back to the front of the room.

Amanda gave her an odd look but turned the song back on after Akko nodded fervently in her direction. Again the sound of a piano filled the room and went uninterrupted into the first verse. Diana and Akko sang quietly, the blonde still obviously nervous but everyone's jaws dropped when they heard the CEO sing for the first time.

 _ **The snow glows white on the mountain tonight**_

 _ **Not a footprint to be seen**_

 _ **A kingdom of isolation**_

 _ **And it looks like I'm the queen**_

With every sentence they sang, Diana's voice grew a little louder along with her rising confidence. Akko hadn't taken her eyes off of the blonde, a mix of surprise and pure adoration on her face. Even Amanda, who was sure this performance would be comedic due the song choice and a certain likeness between Diana and a certain Disney princess, couldn't help but watch in shock.

 _ **The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside**_

 _ **Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried**_

Diana was finally getting into it, finally smiling appreciatively at her girlfriend for being up there with her. That's when everyone noticed that she wasn't reading the lyrics. This was the only thing Amanda found funny at the moment. She wondered how many times Diana had sang this sing in private. Akko's voice suddenly became very quiet, but the blonde didn't seem to notice.

 _ **Don't let them in, don't let them see**_

 _ **Be the good girl you always have to be**_

 _ **Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know**_

 _ **Well, now they know**_

Diana laughed into the microphone when the rest of the room joined in on the chorus. Because who doesn't know the chorus to this song?

 _ **Let it go, let it go**_

 _ **Can't hold it back anymore**_

 _ **Let it go, let it go**_

 _ **Turn away and slam the door**_

 _ **I don't care what they're going to say**_

 _ **Let the storm rage on**_

 _ **The cold never bothered me anyway**_

As they music played, she laughed aloud with Akko at the ridiculousness of this whole situation. Who could have ever imagined Diana Cavendish doing karaoke, singing a Disney song no less. The blonde herself couldn't believe she was actually doing this but as she stood there holding onto her girlfriend's hand, it didn't seem so silly. Again, this girl convinced her to ignore her urge to be a stick in the mud and allow herself to just have fun, and she was having fun. It was apparent to everyone in the room, too. As she sang, the feeling of the brunette's hand continued to give her courage as they sang to each other through bouts of laughter.

 _ **It's time to see what I can do**_

 _ **To test the limits and break through**_

 _ **No right, no wrong, no rules for me**_

 _ **I'm free**_

Again the room joined in on the chorus, a little louder this time. The song went on and the small crowd really got into it, cheering and laughing at the antics of the pair in front of them. At the end of the song, and after a super impressive note hit by the blonde, the crowd stood up, clapping and cheering for the entertaining performance. Akko and Diana stood there hand in hand, laughing breathlessly. Without a second thought, the blonde leaned down and quickly kissed her girlfriend, eliciting more cheering and whistling, mostly from a brash redhead in the crowd. Diana smiled into the kiss and pulled back.

"Thank you." She whispered just loud enough for her girlfriend to hear.

"You're amazing." Akko responded as she through her arms around the blonde's neck.

Karaoke ended after that as no one volunteered to follow that performance. The rest of the party was full of drinking and conversation, and some crying. This party was a going away party after all. And what happens when you get a bunch of drunk girls together for a going away party? Crying.

Finally it was time for Akko and Diana to go home. Their new home. After they both slid into the back of the town car that was there to take them to their apartment, the drive was mostly silent. The pair content to just enjoy each other's presence. Until the brunette's leg began to bounce up and down as the car drew closer to the apartment building. The blonde set her hand on Akko's knee and smiled reassuringly at her girlfriend, and it must have worked because the knee stopped bouncing and the brunette took a deep breath and smiled back.

Once the car stopped in front of their building, they got out and held hands as they entered the front doors and entered the elevator before Akko pressed the button and smiled excitedly at Diana. The blonde chuckled and shook her head slightly.

"Excited?" Diana asked with an arched brow.

"Of course! The last time I saw the place it was completely empty! And..." Akko looked at the ground and blushed slightly. "I'm excited to start this new life with you." She said the last part quietly, just barely loud enough for Diana to hear.

The statement filled the blonde with a joy she'd never felt before. She bit her lip, not knowing quite what to say. Any words she used could not describe how happy she was. So she did something that she always did when words just wouldn't cut it. She kissed Akko passionately, the brunette deepening the kiss immediately as she pushed Diana slowly until the blonde was pinned against the wall of the elevator. The space was silent other than the sound of quiet moans until the elevator stopped moving and a quiet 'ding' sounded out. Akko immediately stepped back, both girls clearing their throats and wiping their mouths as the doors opened, revealing an older couple, the girl's next door neighbors Akko would later find out. The couple looked at the girls suspiciously as they passed, Diana nodding curtly before they walked away quickly down the hall hand in hand, both failing to contain their laughter after they knew the older couple had gotten onto the elevator.

Diana and Akko finally reached their destination and stood outside their apartment door for a moment. The blonde fished some keys out of her purse and unlocked the door before grabbing the knob and opening it. But as the door swung open, Akko grabbed onto Diana's arm, preventing her from stepping over the threshold.

"Am I supposed to like, carry you over the threshold or something?" The brunette furrowed her brows as if thinking through a silent puzzle.

"I think that's for married couples, Akko." The blonde replied in amusement.

"But, what if I wanted to?" Akko asked shyly, looking through the opened door rather than her girlfriend.

"I...but why-GAH!"

The brunette threw the blonde over her shoulder, eliciting a loud shriek from Diana. Akko laughed loud as her girlfriend's limbs began flailing around.

"Put me down! Akko! This isn't how you're supposed to do it! Don't you dare drop me!"

Once inside, Akko closed the door behind them and finally let Diana down very slowly. The blonde glared at her and immediately straightened out her dress and hair before pointing a threatening finger at the brunette. But words seemed to fail her as she saw a mirthful smirk on her girlfriend's face. It was infuriating. It was then, though, that Akko remembered where she was and began to gaze around the apartment, her apartment. Diana had paid to have it decorated and it was fully furnished. It was spacious and nice. Very nice. This was usually the kind of place that she'd be afraid to touch anything for fear of breaking something she could not afford to replace. But this place was hers now. It was theirs. She now lived with Diana. Akko tore her gaze away from the room around them and placed it back on her girlfriend, who was now looking at her with amusement.

"What do you think?"

"Beautiful." Akko replied as she took her hat off and tossed it onto their counter top.

"It is, isn't it?" The blonde looked around, appreciating the décor.

"I wasn't talking about the apartment, I was talking about you. You're beautiful."

Diana's gaze snapped back to her girlfriend. She was speechless yet again. How is it that Akko could do this to her? She was supposed to be the poised one. The one that had a way with words. She was losing her touch. The blonde tilted her head and smiled before she pulled out her phone and pushed a few buttons. Akko looked at her curiously when suddenly music sounded out throughout the apartment, making her jump.

"Whoa! That's so cool!" The brunette beamed with joy as Diana approached.

"I thought you'd enjoy it." The blonde smiled warmly and held out her hand. "Dance with me my love."

Akko giggled and immediately complied with the demand, slowly wrapping her arms around Diana's neck. The blonde set her hands on the brunette's waist before they began to sway side to side in time with the slow melody. They were silent at first, electing to gaze into each other's eyes until Akko nuzzled into the crook of Diana's neck and sighed.

"Are you happy?" The blonde asked softly as she began to trace shapes onto her girlfriend's back, still swaying slowly.

"You have no idea." Akko looked up and placed a few kisses along Diana's jawline. "There are no words." The kisses trailed upward toward the blonde's ear. "But I could show you how happy I am." She whispered before nipping at her girlfriend's earlobe, making Diana let out an involuntary moan.

Diana looked down at the brunette with fire in her eyes, eyeing the tie around Akko's neck. She reached out and traced her fingers down the brunette's neck and onto the black tie. Suddenly she grabbed the tie and pulled roughly, forcing Akko's lips to crash into her own. This time, it was the brunette who moaned loudly into the kiss from a mix of surprise and being utterly turned on. As they deepened the kiss, their hands began wondering over each other's bodies. Hastily, Akko's vest and dress shirt were taken off with ease and thrown to the side as they clumsily made their way to the couch, all the while never breaking their kiss. When they were close enough, Diana pushed Akko backward onto the soft sofa, the brunette letting out a squeak of surprise as she fell. Before Akko's mind caught up, the blonde was already pulling off the brunette's pants and tossed them behind her.

Akko laid there on the couch breathing heavily and looking up at the intense stare of her girlfriend. Slowly, painfully so, Diana lifted the fabric that laid around her neck up and over her head before letting the dress drop to the floor, leaving her with nothing but her underwear on. A wave of heat flowed over the brunette, beginning at her face and traveling down her body until it settled in her lower belly. She jolted upward and pulled a surprised Diana forward until she was close enough for Akko to begin placing kisses on the blonde's hips while she hooked her fingers in the band of Diana's underwear and pulled them down slowly. Her kisses then trailed lower as she slid off the couch and onto her knees.

"A-akko." Diana breathed out as the sensations of the lips tracing her thighs were overwhelming her in the best way.

Suddenly the blonde was being turned around and pushed gently down to a sitting position on the couch, Akko still kneeling before her. As she looked down into lust filled crimson eyes, she suddenly understood what the brunette had in mind. She bit her lip and spread her legs voluntarily, noticing the slight parting of her girlfriend's lips and the quickened rise and fall of her chest. Ever so slowly, Akko lowered her head and kissed just above where Diana needed her, causing the blonde to whimper slightly. The brunette was never one to make her girlfriend wait too long, though, so she slowly went to work with her tongue, reveling in the taste of her love.

"AH!" Diana gasped at the contact, her hips involuntarily rising up off of the couch in search of more contact. She tangled her hand in Akko's hair and urged her forward as increasingly loud gasps and moans escaped her. The brunette increased her pace, knowing the blonde was so close until Diana's back arched off the couch and a scream escaped her lips as a wave of ecstasy washed over her. Her body began to shake as Akko intertwined their fingers and kept up her pace until the blonde rode out her high. When Diana's body fell limply back onto the couch, Akko let go of her hands and wiped her mouth before she crawled up Diana's body and kissed her lips softly. The blonde's eyelids fluttered open when the brunette pulled away slightly.

"I love you so much, Diana."

"Mmm. I love you too, Akko."

"Tired?" Akko smirked and arched an eyebrow playfully.

The blonde narrowed her eyes and looked down at the tie that was still loosely hanging around her girlfriend's neck before her eyes met Akko's once more.

"Hardly. I am far from done with you, Ms. Kagari."

Akko's eyes widened a fraction before Diana abruptly stood up, causing Akko to stand up as well, less she be knocked over onto the floor. She took hold of the tie and smiled mischievously as she leaned in for one last kiss.

"Let's take this to our bedroom shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned and led a very flustered Akko toward the bedroom by her tie.

The brunette bit her lip as she followed the blonde. This had been a perfect night. A perfect start to their new life together. If their first night living together was this amazing, she couldn't wait to see just how incredible the rest of their nights would be. Because they would finely be together, always. And there's nowhere else she'd rather be. She was home.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 _Blessings_

"Where is it where is it where is it where is it?!"

"Akko-"

"It has to be here somewhere! Okay, where was I..."

"Akko!"

Akko had been running circles around the apartment for the last thirty minutes in a frantic search. Diana sat on the couch in her dress clothes and rubbed her forehead when her calls fell on deaf ears. She sighed when the brunette circled the couch once more and stopped in front of her.

"Stand up Diana! I need to lift the couch!"

The blonde stood just in time for Akko to squat down and impressively lift the furniture. However this is when she figured out the error in her plan as she could not lift it high enough to see underneath.

"D-Diana! Is it under there?" She growled through her teeth as she expended all of her effort in not letting the couch crash down to the floor.

Diana rolled her eyes and bent at the waist until she could clearly see the empty floor, devoid of the missing necklace of her frantic girlfriend. The necklace that Diana had given to her for her nineteenth birthday.

"I'm afraid not."

Akko whined loudly and set the furniture down as gently as she could before stomping her foot in frustration while she bit her lip and took another long look around the large open living area.

"Akko, you're going to be late for your own graduation if we don't get going soon." Diana stated in slight annoyance as she moved toward the brunette. "We can find it afterward, darling."

"No! No, I need it!" Akko began her search once more, starting with pulling off every couch cushion and tossing them to the side.

"Why? Why do you need it so badly?" The blonde threw her hands up and stared at her girlfriend in exasperation.

"Diana! That necklace has been around my neck for three years! I..." The brunette trailed off and slumped her shoulders in defeat and sighed before sitting down on the cushionless sofa. She buried her face in her hands before continuing. "When I have that necklace around my neck, it's like you're always there with me. It's comforting. When I get anxious or nervous I can reach up and touch it...and things don't seem so bad. I just...need it today."

Diana stood frozen after hearing the admission. She honestly had no idea the necklace meant so much to Akko. Sure, it was important in the beginning of their relationship, but she had figured the brunette wore it out of habit more than anything else now. The fact that it was a source of comfort and security for her girlfriend filled the blonde's heart with a warmth that only her Akko could be responsible for. Even now, three years after they had agreed to give their hearts to each other, Diana finds herself falling more in love with the brunette every single day.

"I know it's dumb. I just...can't help it."

"What?" Diana's gaze snapped up to find her girlfriend's crestfallen expression. She realized that Akko had probably mistaken her silence as irritation or something of the like. "Oh, no Akko. It's not dumb." The blonde closed the distance between them quickly and stopped just inches away from Akko before smiling warmly. "It's very sweet. Very you." Diana reached up and cupped the brunette's cheek as she stared lovingly into her girlfriend's crimson eyes. "And I am deeply in love with _you_."

Akko flashed a toothy grin before she slowly rose onto her toes and kissed the blonde softly.

"We have ten minutes. Let's find that necklace." Diana whispered and then jumped at the squeal that made it's way past the brunette's lips.

"Okay! You take the bedroom, I'll take the kitchen!" Akko turned and all but ran to the kitchen without waiting for a reply.

Diana chuckled as she made her way into their bedroom and began scouring the carpet for anything shiny or sparkly. After looking thoroughly around the bed she stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips while furrowing her eyebrows, trying to mentally retrace her hyperactive girlfriend's steps this morning. It wasn't easy.

"The closet?" She whispered to herself and pursed her lips as she quickly walked to the absurdly large walk in closet. After pacing the length a couple times and examining the shelves for good measure, she decided that the piece of jewelry was not going to be found in there. But a different piece of jewelry came to mind as it always did when she stood in that closet. A piece of jewelry that was hidden away, specifically hidden from a certain brunette's eyes.

Diana looked back toward the entrance to make sure she was still alone before bending down and moving her clothes out of the way to reveal a small safe in the corner. She quickly put in the correct code and the door clicked to indicate it was ready to open. The blonde opened it slowly and her eyes landed on what she was looking for immediately. She didn't know how many times she'd done this in the past two weeks, but it was more than she'd like to admit. She reached out and retrieved the small velvet box housing a ring that she would eventually offer to the girl she was hoping to spend the rest of her life with. As her fingers brushed over the soft material, her nerves spiked as they always did before shaking hands opened the box. The ring sat, still untouched, in the box and the diamonds sparkled in the bright light from the ceiling as she twisted the box from side to side in order to inspect it. The princess cut diamond wasn't overly large as Akko's taste in jewelry was very simple, if she wore any at all besides the missing necklace. Smaller diamonds were set in the white gold band on either side of the larger stone and circled completely around to meet each other at the bottom. After all was said and done, she was not going to tell Akko how much she actually spent on the piece of jewelry if she wanted the brunette to actually wear it and not lock it up in fear of losing something worth more than twice as much as the baby grand piano she so affectionately calls 'baby'. She could have spent more, she was going to spend more, but when she saw this particular ring it just felt right. She knew it was the one no matter the cost. It was the perfect ring for her perfectly imperfect Akko.

As she stared at the sparkling diamonds, her heart began to pound loudly and her breathing became shallow and shaky. She didn't understand this reaction she had every time she held the ring in her hand. Diana was almost certain that Akko would say yes once the time came, so why was she so nervous? Was it that there was the smallest possibility that the brunette didn't want this? They had never really had a conversation about it, but when it was brought up by other people teasingly, mostly by Amanda and Akemi, Akko didn't seem to be opposed to the idea.

"Why is this so hard." Diana whispered to herself as she snapped the box closed and tapped it on her forehead while letting out a long frustrated sigh.

Suddenly a happy shout came from the kitchen and then hurried footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. The blonde fumbled with the small box as she quickly opened the safe and gently set the box down before slamming it shut. Just as she slid the clothes back over to cover the safe once more, Akko appeared in the doorway holding up her newly found necklace and a proud smile on her face. Her expression faltered, though, when she noticed the awkward stance her girlfriend was in. Diana was standing rigidly with her hands behind her back and an oddly neutral expression on her face. The brunette lowered her hand and tilted her head before narrowing her eyes slightly at the blonde.

"Whatcha doin?" She asked in a playful tone.

"What do you mean? I was looking for your necklace. I see you've managed to find it." Diana cursed at herself internally for turning to her default demeanor. Calm and uninterested. Akko knew her well enough by now that whenever the blonde reverted back to this particular demeanor, there was something going on. But Diana couldn't help it sometimes. It happens whether she wants it to or not.

"Mmhmm." Akko replied, obviously suspicious.

They stood there in a battle of wills for a long moment before Diana's eyes went wide and she looked her watch to see that they should have left for the concert hall ten minutes ago.

"Akko! We need to go. Get your things!" The blonde all but sprinted out of the closet, grabbing Akko on the way out and dragged her into the living room where the brunette's things lay in a pile on the floor. "You have your cap and gown, correct?"

"Of course I..." Akko paused mid eye roll for a moment before unzipping her bag and checking the contents. After she confirmed that she did in fact have her cap and gown, she zipped the bag back up and continued. "Of course I have my cap and gown! Do you really think I'd show up at graduation without them?" The brunette shrunk a bit under the unimpressed stare sent in her direction. "Okay, fair." She mumbled under her breath, making Diana chuckle softly.

"Let's go, Akko. Your mother won't let me here the end of it if you're late."

* * *

"Where are they?" Akemi paced back and forth in front of the concert hall as graduating students and guests passed by her in swarms and disappeared through the front doors. "Haruto, do you think something happened? What if they got into an accident?"

"I'm sure they are fine, dear. You know how our daughter is." Haruto took his wife's hand, effectively stopping her frantic pacing.

"Of course I know how our daughter is." Akemi sighed in defeat before suddenly perking up as she spotted a stranger waiting by the doors and checking her watch in annoyance, a somewhat familiar look of annoyance. "Haruto," She whispered loudly. "that woman looks like she could be related to Diana. Let's go introduce ourselves."

"But-" Haruto's words were cut off as he was being tugged toward the woman in question.

"Hello!" Akemi came to halt in front of the woman, who stared at them in shock for a moment before raising her eyebrow. "Are you by chance related to Diana? You two look shockingly similar."

"...Yes. She's my niece."

"Oh. You're the aunt we've been hearing about." Akemi flashed her best smile before leaning closer to her husband. "Haruto, it's the angry aunt." She whispered the last part, but it wasn't as quiet as she thought.

"Excuse me?"

"I am Akemi, and this is my husband Haruto. We're Akko's parents." The brunette woman held her hand out for the blonde woman to take, but the only thing she received was an irritated glare.

"Daryl Cavendish." The woman stated flatly, ignoring the hand that had been thrust into her personal space.

Akemi laughed nervously as she pulled her hand away and took a step back to Haruto's side. The three of them stood in awkward silence for a few long minutes before Akemi spotted her daughter running toward them from the corner of her eye. She turned and smiled as Akko waved at them excitedly as she grew closer.

"Okaasan! Otousan!" The brunette threw her arms around her parents and pulled them in tightly for a hug.

Diana walked toward the group but stopped abruptly when she spotted her aunt watching her. Her eyebrows rose, silently questioning the woman as to why she was there.

"Aunt Daryl! You came to see me graduate!" Akko opened her arms as if she were going to hug Daryl, but halted immediately at look on the older woman's face. "Heh. So you came!" The brunette said in a squeaky voice as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"For the last time, Ms. Kagari, I am not your aunt. How many times must I ask you not to call me that?" Daryl's annoyance was obvious, but it seemed to only amuse the brunette.

"How many times must I ask you not to call me Ms. Kagari hmm?" Akko replied with a smirk, eliciting a frustrated sigh from the blonde woman.

"If I agree to call you Akko, will you agree to never call me Aunt Daryl again?"

"Nope." The brunette replied quickly before giggling at the shock on Daryl's face.

"You insufferable girl." The woman spat out and turned to Diana, who was shaking with silent laughter as she watched the exchange. "Honestly Diana, how do you tolerate this girl's insolence every day?"

"Oh come on aunty! You're the one who came to watch me graduate. You like me, admit it." Akko grinned cheekily as Daryl began to blush slightly.

"I don't give a damn about your graduation you selfish girl. I am here representing Cavendish Medical for the unveiling of the design for the Bernadette Cavendish Cancer Institute being built here on campus."

"But that's not for two hours." Akko smirked once again.

Diana stopped laughing at the look of rage on her aunt's face and was now in fear of Akko being slapped upside the head. Luckily for the brunette, a voice coming from the front doors yelled to any straggling graduating students to hurry inside as they were lining up to begin the ceremony.

"Oh crap. Okay guys! I'll see you afterward!" Akko hugged her parents before quickly kissing Diana.

"I'm so proud of you, Akko." The blonde whispered before leaning in for one last peck on her girlfriend's lips.

Akko beamed before she turned to Daryl and patted her on the shoulder awkwardly when she couldn't think of anything better to do before she ran to the doors and rushed in to find her place. Diana watched her go with a lopsided smile before she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Akemi and Haruto waved her along, urging her to follow them inside as they moved toward the doors. The blonde nodded and laughed slightly when she noticed her aunt frowning at the couple.

"Will you join us?" Diana asked Daryl as she moved to follow Akko's parents inside.

"I suppose I have nothing better to do at the moment." The older blonde replied, seemingly uninterested.

Diana chuckled softly as they made their way into the hall and walked side by side slowly down the corridor.

"How are you feeling, Daryl? Not overworking yourself I hope." The younger blonde broke the silence as she glanced to the side.

"Diana, while I do appreciate your concern, it is quite impossible to overwork myself when you'll only allow me to work once a month." Daryl stated with a roll of her eyes before her expression softened slightly. "I am feeling as well as I can be, I suppose. Given the circumstances."

"Your condition..." The younger blonde trailed off and looked at the ground as she walked.

"It's getting worse. Slowly, of course." Daryl stood a little straighter as to not give away her suddenly somber mood. "The outcome of the most recent experimental medication was not as we had hoped. Although it does slow the spread quite significantly."

Diana nodded her head slowly as she took in the information. Another experimental drug had failed. The only medication that had seemed to work as expected only worked for a short amount of time before the patient's body would adapt and drug wasn't any better than a placebo. She would not give up however. As long as Daryl was willing to fight, Diana was willing to help in any way she was able. Right now, that help entailed funding research on the cancer that had taken her mother after from her and building a whole institute dedicated to cancer research in her mother's name.

"I see." The younger blonde chewed on her lip before taking a deep breath to compose herself once more. Right now, it wasn't about about herself or her aunt, it was about Akko. "You really came to watch Akko graduate, didn't you."

"As I said before, dear niece, I simply had nothing better to do."

Diana's lips threatened to upturn into a smile at her aunt's facade. She could see right through it but thought it better to let the subject drop. Daryl would most likely have to deal with Akko later, it was best to give her a rest before having to endure the storm once again.

The ceremony was as boring as Diana had remembered it being. Except for one significant difference. Beach balls. Someone was filling beach balls and throwing them around during the various speeches. And with every ball that was confiscated, another would be flying through the air within minutes. They seemed to originate from all directions making it nearly impossible for the administrators to find the source of the disruption, or more likely, multiple sources. The blonde's eyes had found every one of her friends in the mass of students and had seen the first ball being thrown into the air by none other than Amanda O'Neill. Diana chuckled at the teachers and employees of the university chasing the beach balls from one side of the auditorium to the other while the person currently holding the microphone struggled to keep their composure. That went on for quite a while, but after the last ball was caught and popped, the rest of the ceremony went along without any further interruption.

After the ceremony ended, Diana and Akko's parents made their way outside to wait for the brunette. When the blonde turned around and noticed her aunt wasn't with them, she furrowed her brows and began to search the crowd and realized why her aunt had left so abruptly. Amanda's family had seen them and were quickly closing the distance. The O'Neill's were friendly enough, but they were a bit much to handle. Think if Amanda had a bunch of clones with much more loose tongues. It would be hard to imagine if Diana wasn't already acquainted with them. Thankfully they all but ignored the blonde and chose to ambush Akko's unsuspecting parents instead.

Soon enough though, she was wrapped up from behind by her excited girlfriend. Diana immediately turned around in Akko's arms and hugged her back tightly. Suddenly the blonde's feet left the ground and a squeak escaped her lips as the brunette twirled her around through the air.

"Can you believe it Diana?! I'm an adult! I have a degree!" Akko shouted happily, making Diana laugh loudly.

"A-akko! Please put me down!"

"Oh God." The brunette dropped the blonde rather unceremoniously and her expression turned from glee to one of utter fear in the blink of an eye. "I'm an adult. I'm done with school. What am I going to do? Diana what am I going to do?" Akko grabbed Diana's shoulders and stared at her with horror filled eyes.

"You just graduated less then thirty minutes ago, Akko I think you need to relax a bit and we'll think about the future later on." The blonde stated softly, pulling her girlfriend in close in an attempt to provide some comfort.

"But...it all feels so real now. What if I can't get a job? I don't want to be mooching off you for forever. The premier league doesn't pay enough to really live. What am I going to do?" Akko's voice cracked a bit.

Diana couldn't believe she was hearing this genuine admission. The brunette was worried about not contributing even though the blonde made more money than she knew what to do with. She would find it quite humorous at any other time, but Akko was really worried about this.

"Akko, we will get through this together. I will be by your side regardless of your employment status. So I will make you a promise." Diana reached up, cupping the brunette's cheek before she leaned in close to Akko's ear, so close that her lips brushed ever so slightly over the shell as she spoke. "If all else fails, I'll hire you as my maid. I already have quite the outfit in mind."

"Diana!" The brunette yelped and shoved Diana away immediately, revealing the fierce blush that had overcome her features in the matter of seconds. "You can't...don't...don't you have a meeting to get to or something?"

The blonde couldn't hold back her giggling as Akko refused to make eye contact with her. So she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck and leaned to place a gentle kiss on her still very warm forehead.

"I do. I'll meet you at the restaurant then?" Diana arched her brow at the brunette who still refused to look her in the eye. Akko nodded shyly before rising up on her toes for one last kiss.

"Good luck, Diana." The brunette smiled warmly while finally looking into her girlfriend's eyes.

"Thank you, love." Were Diana's parting words as she turned and began walking down the sidewalk, seeming to put extra sway in her hips for Akko's benefit as she watched her go.

* * *

The restaurant was the same one that Diana had taken Akko's parents to the first time they had gotten together. Other than the unfortunate event of Akemi walking in on her and Akko doing...'things'...in the bathroom, it had been a great dinner. Diana and Akko had come to this place at least once a month since then. The blonde stepped out of the car that had brought her to the restaurant and gave the driver a generous tip like usual before she walked confidently into the restaurant. By this point, everyone working at the restaurant knew who she and Akko were, and they never failed to acquire a table, even on the busiest of nights. The hostess smiled at her as she approached.

"Ms. Cavendish, pleasure to see you this evening. Your party has already been seated. If you'll follow me."

Diana gave a curt nod and followed the young woman to her usual table where Akko and her parents sat, carefully scouring the menu. When the blonde approached, Akko smiled brightly and stood up to greet her girlfriend with a kiss on the cheek.

"I apologize for being late, Akko." Diana whispered as she gestured for the brunette to sit. "The meeting went much longer than I had anticipated. Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Kagari." The blonde smiled at the other occupants of the table as she sat.

"Always so formal Diana." Akemi teased as she always did when Diana called her _that_ name. "If you don't stop calling me that, I'll start calling _you_ Mrs. Kagari."

"...Pardon?" The blonde's eyes went wide as she immediately understood the implication behind that. Her poor girlfriend was as dense as ever it seemed, thankfully.

"Don't you mean Mrs. Cavendish?" Akko furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Oh, is that how it's going to be?" Akemi smirked at her daughter who still had no idea what was going on.

"I don't-" The brunette started.

"I will try my best to kick the habit, Akemi. No need for that." Diana blurted out before her girlfriend could catch onto to the game the older brunette was playing.

"Good girl. Now, where is that waiter with our wine?" Akemi craned her neck to search the restaurant for the waiter who was away getting their drinks.

"I should probably use the restroom before we start. Be right back!" Akko stood up and hurried away.

Diana nodded and picked up her menu to begin browsing. She did this every time she ate here, but in the end she would end up ordering the same thing.

"Not joining her this time?" Akemi whispered loudly across the table.

Diana raised her menu high enough to cover her blushing face from the couple across from her. She could hear the woman chuckling at her expense before Haruto chimed in for the first time since Diana had arrived.

"Akemi, go easy on the girl."

"Come on, Haruto. It was funny. She'll have to get used to it if she's going to be a part of this family."

"She won't be part of this family if you do-"

"Actually," Diana interrupted and finally lowered her menu when she was confident her blush had mostly disappeared. The couple turned towards her, eyebrows raised and waiting for the blonde to continue. "There is something I'd like to talk to you about while Akko is away from the table."

Akemi's face immediately lit up, seeming to read Diana's thoughts, while Haruto looked genuinely curious. They both stayed silent, urging the blonde to continue. The blonde opened her mouth but nothing came out. Her heart began beating rapidly and the nervous energy from this morning came back in full force and coursed through her veins as she stared at the two people across from her. Again she tried and failed to speak, her mind suddenly drawing a blank. The speech she had practiced over and over again for the past two weeks was no where to be found.

"Hmm." Akemi hummed as she tilted her head and regarded Diana with amusement. "Diana, I know I can be...difficult to deal with sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Quiet, Haruto." Akemi shot her husband a playful glare before turning back to the blonde, who noticed the loving smile on Haruto's face as he watched his wife. Diana's anxiety began to melt away just watching the older couple interact. This is what she wanted with Akko. She wanted to be married to her love for twenty years and never lose that spark, that unconditional love that they have right now. The blonde blinked a few times, snapping herself out of her thoughts when she realized that the older woman had continued to speak.

"But please know that you can come to us with anything. Whether it be about Akko or not. You are like a daughter to us already, so please, say what you need to say before my other daughter comes back."

Akemi's calm, motherly tone chased away any remaining nervousness, and she finally felt confident enough to have this important talk. She knew how this talk would end though, of course. The older woman knew exactly what was coming and had already given Diana an answer in a round about way. But that wasn't good enough. She needed a direct answer. This was not something she was going to take lightly, it was too important. This was her future.

"Akemi, Haruto, I love your daughter very much. And nothing would make me happier than to love her, cherish her, and take care of her for as long as I am breathing." Diana took one deep breath and fixed her gaze on Akko's parents with a fire burning inside of her. "Will you give me your blessing to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage?"

The blonde watched the couple closely as they let the question sink in. Akemi brought her hands up quickly to cover her mouth and Haruto's mouth upturned into a wide smile that Diana had never seen on him before. Soon enough, there were tears pooling in the corners of the older woman's eyes as her husband put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her from the side. Akemi uncovered her mouth and wiped the tears away before they could fall and smiled so brightly back at Diana that she swears she should have been blinded by it.

"I knew it was coming but I just..." Akemi paused to compose herself a bit and take a few breaths. "Of course you have our blessing, Diana."

The blonde's smile mirrored Akemi's as a huge weight was lifted off of her. She began to feel her own tears threatening to trickle down as she felt love radiating off of the couple in front of her. When suddenly Akemi gasped, eliciting looks of concern from both Diana and Haruto.

"A wedding! Oh Haruto there's going to be a wedding!" The older woman said dreamily, and was being very loud. Restaurant goers from nearby tables were glancing over at their table in annoyance and curiosity.

"Dear, you should probably keep your voice down. Akko will return at any second." Haruto calmed his wife down immediately before she looked around with a face that read 'oops!'.

"Sorry!" She whispered loudly before continuing. "I know a lady that does wedding invitations! She'd probably give you a discount!"

"Akemi-" Diana spotted Akko leaving the restroom on the other side of the restaurant and needed the woman to stop but she was cut off before she could warn her.

"Oh! And food! We should look into catering. Japanese food would be so lovely. Oh! Japanese themed wedding. Diana you would look gorgeous in a kimono!"

"Akemi please-"

"And the cake!"

"What cake?"

Diana, Akemi and Haruto froze before slowly turning their heads to look up at Akko with wide eyes. The brunette's smile faded slightly before she tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Uh..." Diana racked her brain for any good reason why they'd be talking about cake. Cake...wedding, birthday...birthday! Akko's birthday was coming up! "A birthday cake!" The blonde said a little too loudly as she glanced at Akemi whose mouth hung open before she suddenly picked up on the excuse she need to validate.

"Yes! A surprise birthday cake! For you!" The older woman said in a voice an octave higher than usual.

Akko opened and closed her mouth a few times, clearly very confused as to why everyone was acting so weird.

"But you just told me about it." The brunette stated simply as she arched her brow.

"Oh. Right. A...not...surprise birthday cake then." Akemi fidgeted as Akko sat down across from her when a waiter approached their table holding a bottle of wine.

"My apologies for the wait, we are sorely understaf-"

"It's fine. Just the leave the bottle." Haruto said impatiently, cutting the waiter off as he rubbed his head, signifying what was no doubt going to be a doozy of a headache.

"That's right! We're celebrating!" Akemi stated excitedly as she began pouring everyone a glass of wine. When she noticed an odd look from her daughter she elaborated. "Your graduation. We are celebrating your graduation. Because what else could there possibly be at this very moment to celebrate?" The woman winked at Diana, who closed her eyes and sighed. That was the point when she realized that Haruto was who she was destined to become one day. Loving his partner dearly, but spending an awful lot of money on headache medication. The blonde then opened her eyes to see beautiful crimson ones staring back at her and a dopey grin on her girlfriend's face. Even if she had to buy all the headache medication in the world, it'd be worth it if it meant she could spend forever with Astuko Kagari.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 _An Important Question_

Diana laid sprawled out on the couch, a glass of wine on the coffee table next to her and a little black velvety box in her hand. She opened the box and snapped it shut over and over again, frustrated and a bit tipsy. She really thought tonight would be the night, but her plans were foiled yet again. It had been about a month since she had asked Akko's parents for their blessing to marry their daughter and she had been so close to asking multiple times. She would summon her courage to ask, but something always seemed to happen before she could. The universe seemed to be against her, or she just had very bad luck, either way it was starting to frustrate her to no end. Diana wanted it to be special, wanted her proposal to be memorable, but at this rate, she'd be lucky to get it out at all.

So here she was, laying on the couch, alone in her apartment with a cold and forgotten meal she had made still sitting on the elegantly set kitchen table. The candles had been long snuffed out after learning that Akko's arrival from her field hockey camp had been delayed by a few hours. Now she was immersed in her own mind, thoughts of the past month's failures swimming through her head as she tried to stay conscious, though the complete silence of the apartment and the wine were not helping. The memory of the weekend after the dinner with Akko's parents began to replay in her mind as her eyes drooped slightly.

* * *

 _Three weeks ago…_

"Diana! I'm so excited!" Akko nearly vibrated in her seat as the car neared the large fair that was in town that weekend. "I can't wait for the food!"

Diana chuckled and smiled lovingly at the childish wonder and excitement on the brunette's face. Although this fair happened every year, and she was invited to go by her two closest friends, the blonde had never attended. She always had more important things to do, which meant she had anything else to do because fairs were really not her thing. And due to conflicting schedules the last few years, Akko and Diana had not been able to go together. Or more accurate, the brunette hadn't had the chance to drag the blonde along until now. But this year Diana didn't mind at all because there was a fireworks show scheduled at the end of the night, and she had a very important question she needed to ask her girlfriend. Tonight would be perfect.

"If it was the food you were after, I should have taken you to a nice restaurant instead." Diana smirked as she pulled into an empty spot and turned off the car.

"Oh come on! Eating food at the fair is so much better than eating in some stuffy restaurant." Akko crossed her arms in a faux pout, but her excitement wouldn't allow her to keep the expression for long. "And there are rides and games! Oh! Maybe I'll win a big teddy bear for you to cuddle when I'm away with the team. Because I know you'll miss me." The brunette smiled mischievously and reached over to run her fingers down the side of Diana's face, making the blonde shiver slightly before she grabbed Akko's hand and pulled it away.

"You are unbelievable." Diana stated with an arched eyebrow. "We are not playing this game tonight."

"What is this game you speak of my love?" The brunette feigned innocence as her hand moved to the blonde's thigh before it was slapped away almost immediately.

"Akko." The blonde warned in a low, dangerous voice.

"Diana." Akko imitated her girlfriend's tone but a twitch of her lips gave away her amusement.

The brunette leaned over and found the switch on the side of the driver's seat before pressing it, causing Diana to slowly move farther away from the steering wheel. And although the blonde glared at Akko as she moved backward, she never made an attempt to stop her. Once the seat was as far back as it could go, the brunette climbed over and straddled her girlfriend's thighs.

"Need I remind you, Akko, that we are in public and people can see through these windows." Diana chastised, though her shallow breathing and her racing heart diminished the weight of the scolding.

Akko giggled and just smiled adoringly at the blonde for a long moment as she watched her easily flustered girlfriend's complexion darken with a slight blush.

"Have I ever told you how adorable you are when you're blushing?" The brunette tilted her head and grinned as Diana looked away quickly. Akko reached out and gently took hold of the blonde's chin and brought blue eyes back to meet crimson before she leaned in and captured Diana's lips for a soft, chaste kiss. The brunette smiled into the kiss when she felt the blonde's grip tighten on her t-shirt.

 _ **Knock Knock**_

Akko immediately broke the kiss at the knocking coming from the car window. She had forgotten exactly where she was and hit her head hard on the roof of the car in her surprise of getting caught in this compromising position on top of Diana.

"AH! Owowowow." The brunette rubbed her head vigorously, her eyes closed tightly in pain.

"Akko! Are you-" The blonde started as she held both sides of Akko's face in concern before being cut off by loud laughter just outside the window. The pair finally turned to see who had interrupted them so rudely and weren't surprised at who they found there.

"O'Neill." Diana growled as she sent the iciest glare she could muster at the redhead. Amanda had seemed to grow immune to the blonde's glares over the years, the effectiveness all but nonexistent now. So the only thing she was met with was more laughter.

This is when Hannah popped out from behind her girlfriend with a look of fear on her face before stepping closer to the window and yelling.

"I told her to leave you alone! I promise! I'm sorry!"

"She laughed!" Amanda added, pointing traitorously at the other girl.

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!"

While the pair bickered outside of the car, Diana sighed deeply and turned back to Akko, who still sat on top of her. The brunette was watching Amanda and Hannah in amusement before meeting the blonde's gaze once more.

"Are you okay, Akko?" Diana asked, relaxing a bit as her girlfriend smiled warmly back at her.

"Yeah. We should probably go huh? I don't think Amanda is going to leave now."

A feeling of disappointed crept it's way into the blonde at the thought of not being able to spend this night alone with Akko. While she didn't think it was necessarily selfish to want to spend the evening alone with her girlfriend, she would feel guilty if she kept the brunette away from her best friend. So with a sigh and a reluctant smile, Diana nodded.

"I have a nagging feeling she'll stay out there all night and torment us if we don't." The blonde rolled her eyes playfully and grinned as Akko giggled.

The four girls made their way into fair after paying for tickets and an absurd amount of tokens to play the games, well, for Akko to play the games. But unsurprisingly to Diana, the first booths they visited were for food and desserts. After the brunette had her taste of every sugar filled thing the fair had to offer, they moved to the rides. The blonde wasn't a fan of most of them, but an impromptu make out session at the top of the farris wheel made her want to ride that particular ride again and again. Unfortunately they couldn't because Diana was literally dragged to the games immediately after stepping off. Akko found a game she wanted to play and dug her heels in for the challenge. An hour later and about thirty exclamations of 'one more time' from the brunette, Diana finally had her teddy bear. It wasn't as large as Akko had wanted, but she was very proud of herself anyway.

"Thank you, Akko. I love it." The blonde smiled and hugged the bear.

"Anything for you m'lady." The brunette playfully stated before a long yawn escaped her mouth. "Wow...I'm exhausted."

"Finally coming down from that sugar high? Didn't I tell you this would happen?" Diana smirked and arched her brow.

"...I have no regrets." Akko stuck her tongue and grabbed her girlfriend's hand, leading them toward the exit until the brunette suddenly stopped. "Hey, where did Amanda and Hannah run off to?"

"I'm not sure. They must have disappeared while you were playing the game." The blonde mumbled as she searched the crowds for their friends. Until she remembered that this is exactly what she had wanted to happen at some point that evening. She wanted to get her girlfriend alone to… "I'm...sure they'll catch up with us at some point. Why don't we go find a spot to sit for the fireworks."

"Oh! Right! Let's do that."

Akko and Diana walked hand in hand out of the fair grounds and along the dark pathway through the city park, the moon shown bright in the sky and the stars twinkled like the finest of jewels. It made for a very romantic mood as they made their way to the viewing spot for the firework show that would begin at any moment. The night was ending just how the blonde had wanted it to, but her nerves began coursing through her body and butterflies flapped relentlessly in her stomach as she began to go over how she was going to propose.

"Hey, are you okay, Diana? Your hand is shaking."

Diana looked over at her concerned girlfriend in surprise and then down to their interlocked fingers where she noticed she had a rather tight grip on Akko's hand.

"My apologies, Akko. I was just lost in thought for a moment." The blonde looked around them to make sure they were still far away from the crowded area as she slid her free hand into her jacket pocket and wrapped her fingers around the small box. She raised her girlfriend's hand and kissed her knuckles before continuing. "I'm fine."

They stood silently gazing into each other's eyes for a moment before a loud boom sounded out and the first fireworks of the night lit up the sky. Both girls turned to watch as one firework after another was set off, various colored sparks dancing around one another in the air. Diana took a deep breath and decided this was the moment. She turned back to her girlfriend with determination and was about to speak but paused at the rather odd expression on Akko's face.

"Akko?"

"Diana, I don't feel very good."

And with that, the perfect moment ended as the sick brunette sprinted to the nearest garbage can and emptied the contents of her stomach.

* * *

 _Present..._

The blonde rubbed her eyes before she narrowed them at the offending box in her hand as if her bad luck was this object's fault. If she was being honest though, her life with Akko was always chaotic. These things happened all the time and she could count on one hand how many times things played out as she had planned since they started dating, but she wished for once that this one thing would go her way. Just this one thing.

Suddenly Diana's phone buzzed, the tone letting her know that she had a message. She quickly pulled it out and swiped the screen to reveal that Akko had texted her.

 _ **Hey babe. We just got into the city. See you in about**_ _ **20**_ _ **minutes.**_

The blonde quickly texted back a reply, telling Akko to drive safe before she set the phone on the table and closed her eyes. Maybe she was over thinking this. Did she really need a grand gesture to propose? She had thought so. Like the week after the fair when she had the great idea of stargazing. A romantic proposal beneath the stars. Well, it was a great idea until…

* * *

 _Two weeks ago…_

"Wow, Diana. My favorite homemade tarts and a bottle of expensive wine? What's the occasion?" Akko turned to Diana who turned the car onto the winding road that led to their favorite spot for stargazing overlooking the city. "You do know my birthday isn't for another couple weeks right?" She asked playfully, poking the blonde in the side for good measure and earning a shove to the shoulder in return.

"Hush you." Diana chuckled. "I figured we could use a nice relaxing night in the mountains together. It was a rather busy week."

"Well, I appreciate the gesture. But just so you know, a long as I'm with you, I'm happy. No matter what we're doing." The brunette leaned over and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder with a content sigh.

Diana leaned her head on her girlfriend's as she smiled widely at Akko's statement. She was reminded yet again at how lucky she was to have the brunette in her life. Without even trying, Akko filled her with so much warmth every day, making her feel loved with every glance and touch. She was lucky indeed.

Of course, while Diana felt lucky in one regard, she seemed to be very unlucky in another, again. The car suddenly made a loud noise and jolted slightly, making the girls jump in surprise.

"What the..." Akko questioned, looking at the blonde with her eyebrows raised.

"I don't know." Diana replied as she slowed the car and stopped on the side of the road.

They both quickly got out of the car and circled it until they found the problem. A flat tire. The blonde rubbed her forehead in frustration as they stood there in silence, staring at the flat tire like it would magically repair itself.

"Uh...Diana?"

"Yes, Akko?" The blonde answered in annoyance.

"Do you know how to change a tire?"

"..."

"I take that glare as a no."

"...I'll call someone."

"Hey, Diana?"

"What, Akko?"

"Can I eat the tarts."

"...If you wish."

* * *

 _Present…_

Akko stepped off the elevator and tiredly made her way towards their apartment door. She yawned as she unlocked the door and opened it before entering. After she closed the door, she took off her backpack with a satisfied sigh, happy to get the heavy thing off. The brunette turned to walk toward the kitchen and stopped in her tracks when she saw the table that was no doubt set for a romantic meal. There was one lonely plate of a half eaten meal still sitting on the table along with an opened bottle of wine. A wave a guilt flowed through Akko as she stared brokenhearted at the scene. She had planned on being home two hours ago but didn't inform her girlfriend soon enough apparently. Why had she waited so long? The brunette rubbed the back of her neck and growled at herself in frustration as she tried to figure out what she was going to say to Diana now. It was late though, and there was a good chance that the blonde was already asleep as most of the lights had been turned off, so she began walking toward the hallway where their bedroom resided. Before she made it there, however, she noticed the glass of wine on the coffee table in the living room and peeked over the back of the couch. The blonde lay on the couch fast asleep, one arm and one leg hung off the side. Akko shook a bit in silent laughter at the utterly adorable sight. She would be happier to see Diana if she hadn't just put the blonde through a no doubt terrible couple hours. The brunette walked around the couch and knelt down beside the sleeping blonde before gently shaking her shoulder.

"Dianaaa." Akko called out softly, but was only met with a quiet groan, Diana only shifting a bit before she became still once more. The brunette chewed on her lip as she tried shaking the blonde once more. "Hey, babe. I'm home." Nothing happened. Thinking that her efforts had no effect, Akko made to stand up but was stopped with a hand grasping her shirt and pulling weakly. The brunette smiled adoringly as she let Diana pull her down until she lay on top of the blonde, who wrapped her arms tightly around the brunette's waist. Akko nuzzled into the crook of Diana's neck before placing a kiss on her jawline.

"Welcome home." The blonde mumbled before kissing the top of the brunette's head in return.

"I'm sorry I was late for dinner." Akko whispered sadly.

"What din..." Diana's eyes shot open immediately as she remembered why she had made dinner, and what she had been looking at before she fell asleep. 'THE RING!' She screamed internally. "Oh my god." The blonde panicked, rolling herself and Akko off of the couch and onto the floor.

"Wha...oof!" The brunette let out a guttural noise as she hit the floor and her girlfriend fell on top of her. "Hey! Wha-"

"Where is it?" Diana whispered to herself as she searched frantically for the box, digging her hands in between the couch cushions.

"Where is what?" Akko stood up slowly and watched her girlfriend in confusion.

Finally Diana felt the velvety texture of the box in the corner of the couch and sighed in relief. Her relief was quickly washed away, though, when she realized that Akko was watching her intently, waiting for her to pull out whatever she had been looking for like a crazy person. In her mind she had two options. Either she pull it out and try to hide it, try being the keyword as Akko would no doubt try to pry it out of her hand, not thinking it was anything serious. Or she could propose right here and now. She was already on her knees, this could be the moment. It didn't have to be a perfect moment, she now realized, because the moment she proposed, it would turn into that perfect moment she'd been waiting for. If only she had come to the realization sooner.

"Uh...Diana?"

Diana's grip on the box tightened at the sound of her girlfriend's voice. She breathed deeply a few times before pulling the box out, still making sure that Akko couldn't see it for the time being. The blonde turned on her knees to find the brunette looking down at her curiously with an arched brow. Diana's heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears as she swallowed thickly and wet her lips with her tongue.

"Akko," The blonde shifted her weight, bringing one leg up until she was now only kneeling on one knee. Akko's eyes went wide as she brought her hands quickly up to cover her mouth. "you bring me happiness that I never thought was possible, that I never thought I deserved. And the love you show me day in and day out still amazes me. You are my light, Akko. You are my world. I love you more than anything." Diana held out the box and opened it, revealing the beautiful ring in all it's sparkling glory. Akko gasped behind her hands as she glanced down at it before locking eyes with the blonde once more. "All I ask is that you continue to let me love you for the rest of your life...as your wife. Will you marry me?

The brunette stood there, frozen in shock for a long moment. With each passing second of silence, Diana grew more nervous at the lack of an answer. Suddenly Akko's shoulders slumped.

"Shit." The brunette whispered loudly.

"...Pardon?" The blonde was horrified as her stomach dropped at the reaction.

"Oh! No! I mean...yes! I mean...uh.." Akko's waved her hands in front of her frantically after realizing what she'd said.

"I..." Diana had no idea how to process what her girlfriend was saying.

"Just...uh...hold on." The brunette vaulted over the couch and ran down the hallway, leaving a baffled blonde kneeling on the floor with the ring in her hand. Diana blinked a few times before looking worriedly down at the ring until she heard Akko running back to her, vaulting over the couch once more and landing right in front of her. The brunette knelt down, mirroring Diana and cleared her throat. "I...uh...sorry about that. Um..."

Akko pulled her own small box out of her sweatshirt pocket and held it out like her girlfriend had before and opened the box to reveal the ring resting inside. The blonde's jaw dropped at the sight of the shining silver ring with a large, pristine princess cut diamond set at the top. Diana's gaze snapped back to Akko's as she continued to speak.

"You kinda beat me to the punch." The brunette laughed nervously. "But I want to do this before I give you my answer. So...Diana, from the day I met you, you had always held a piece of my heart. And every day you claimed more and more until my whole heart belonged to you. And if I had more to give, I would happily give it to you freely. Because I am SO in love with you, Diana Cavendish. And I know nothing I could say or do could ever express how much I love you, but I plan on trying to show you just how much you mean to me until my last breath. Will you marry me?"

Diana didn't know when the tears began to role down her face, but she wiped them away quickly and smiled warmly at the love of her life.

"You answer first." The blonde's voice cracked slightly as she chuckled at the look Akko gave her, the look that told Diana that her girlfriend was about to protest.

"But-"

"I proposed first. So you answer first."

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

"Akko!"

"YES!" Akko finally exclaimed with a joyous smile after teasing Diana, because she was just so fun to tease. The blonde smiled back brightly and sighed in relief before giggling softly as the brunette wiped away a few of her own stray tears. "Now you."

"A thousand times yes. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife, Akko."

Akko let out a squeal and shook in place, doing a little dance as Diana watched with a loving smile on her face.

"May I?" Diana asked as she held up the ring after the brunette calmed down. Akko nodded vigorously and held out her left hand. The blonde took the ring out of the box and slid it easily onto the brunette's ring finger before bringing it to her lips and kissing it.

"My turn!" Akko stated excitedly as her shaking hand grasped the ring out of the box, fumbling with it a bit before managing to slide it onto Diana's ring finger.

With another squeal, the brunette lunged forward and all but tackled her fiance to the floor. They laughed out loud as they lay in a crumpled heap, both feeling happier than they had ever imagined they could be. After catching her breath, Akko pushed herself up until she was hovering over Diana, smiling like a fool. The blonde reached up and caressed her fiance's cheek before sliding her hand around to the back of Akko's neck and pulling her down for a passionate kiss. Their lips worked in tandem until both girls needed air, Diana reluctantly pulled away first before inhaling deeply as the brunette rested her forehead against the blonde's. They gazed lovingly into each others eyes for what felt like eternity before either of them spoke.

"I love you, Diana."

"I love you more."


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello! So this chapter is VERY short. Yikes. But it wasn't planned and just kinda happened so here you go. Lol**

 **But hey! Next week is the FINAL chapter y'all! Can you believe it? CAN YOU?! I can't. I'm not sure which day I'm going to be able to post it due to the holidays but it will be up by the end of next week and this crazy fic is going to be over!**

 **Thank you again for your unbelievable support and I love every single one of you! And happy holidays to all you amazing people!**

 **Enjoy and see you next week!**

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

 _Past and Future_

"Fiance. _Fiance._ Fian _ce."_ Akko repeated animatedly, bouncing on her heels as she scooped a ball of ice cream out of the carton and dropped it into one of the two glass bowls on the counter.

Once the bowls were full, The brunette picked them up and turned to see her fiance smiling at her in loving amusement from the couch, waiting for her return. Akko smiled back sheepishly before walking toward the sofa, stepping over the clothes that were haphazardly thrown onto the floor an hour before in the midst of their passionate display of affection for one another. Neither girl put much effort in getting dressed afterward, both now only wearing a t-shirt and underwear as they settled in to watch Diana's favorite cheesy romantic comedy. Akko had suggested the ice cream to celebrate their engagement, of course. The brunette handed a bowl to the blonde and sat beside her, both girls leaning back into the soft cushions and resting their feet on the coffee table in front of them, legs overlapping each other as they huddled as close together as possible while they ate.

"Atsuko Cavendish. Akko Cavendish. Akko...Kagari-Cavendish?" Akko mumbled, her brows furrowed as she stared up at the television. "Akko Cavendish-Kagari."

"Akko." Diana chuckled in amusement as she listened to her fiance's musings.

"What? This is important stuff, Diana!" The brunette stared back at her in exasperation.

"I think we have a bit of time to figure these things out, love." The blonde replied softly before reaching over and stealing a spoonful of Akko's ice cream, quickly putting it in her mouth before the brunette could protest.

"Hey!" Akko scowled at the ice cream thief next to her, who stuck her tongue out playfully in return. The brunette couldn't help the surprised laugh that had bubbled up at the playful taunt from her always dignified fiance. "Unbelievable." Akko giggled and nudged Diana's arm playfully with her elbow. "I'm starting to think I've been a bad influence on you."

"Mmm." The blonde swallowed a mouthful of ice cream while nodding her head slowly. "The worst influence." She agreed with a smirk, making Akko jut her lip out in a pout.

"Who even are you?" The brunette narrowed her eyes at her fiance as she scooped up the last spoonful of ice cream and put it in her mouth before she leaned forward and set the empty bowl on the coffee table.

"I, my dear," Diana started as she placed her own empty bowl on the table before leaning back, sinking further into the couch and resting her head on Akko's shoulder. "am one who is hopelessly in love with you, and very grateful for your terrible influence. Because I am who I want to be when I'm with you." The blonde said almost absentmindedly as she lifted her hand to inspect her new ring for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour. She closed her eyes and smiled when she felt soft lips leave a lingering kiss on her forehead. She then remembered a question that had been stuck in the back of her mind since Akko had proposed. "Hey Akko?"

"Hmm?"

"If I may ask, how long have you had this ring?"

"Oh. Um..." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously. "Just a couple...months."

"Months?" Diana sat up quickly to stare at her fiance in surprise.

"Yeah..." Akko's face darkened the slightest bit with a blush before she cleared her throat and trained her gaze on the television once more. "So uh...h-how long have you had my ring for?" She chanced a quick glance to the side at the blonde still looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Well, I purchased it a week before your graduation, although I had been thinking about purchasing one for quite a bit longer if I'm being honest." Diana took Akko's hand and smiled proudly at the pristine ring. "And then I finally summoned the courage to ask for your parent's blessing."

"You...asked for my parent's blessing?" The brunette mumbled before her eyes widened in some sort of realization. "Oh my god, was I supposed to ask your aunt for her blessing? Is that how it works? I don't know how all of this works, Diana! What if she hates me now? I mean, more than she already does. That would totally summf..."

Akko was silenced by lips crashing into her own, effectively snuffing out the anxiety that had built up so quickly. The brunette's body seemed to melt in Diana's embrace, making the blonde grin into the kiss before she pulled away and waited until Akko's eyelids fluttered open in a daze.

"Akko, I honestly don't give a damn about what my aunt thinks about us. So please, stop worrying." Diana placed a hand on both sides of the brunette's face in an attempt get her next point across. "I know for a fact that my mother would have loved you. And she would wholeheartedly approve of us getting married."

Akko stared in awe at her fiance's sincere words. The blonde didn't talk about her mother hardly at all, and Akko didn't dare push the subject normally. But the way Diana's voice cracked ever so slightly, the way her tone was meant to be comforting but was tinged with a distinct feeling of sadness made the brunette's heart break slightly. She suddenly felt guilty at the fact that her own parents were going to see their daughter get married, and Diana's parents hadn't even lived long enough to see her get through primary school. Akko wanted so badly to talk to her fiance's mother. To the woman who Diana strove to be like every day, the woman who would be so proud of who her daughter had become.

"Diana..." The brunette hesitated as she pulled the blonde's hands off of her face and held them within her own, earning a confused look from Diana. "How often do you...talk to your mother?" Akko's gaze meeting the blonde's suddenly surprised expression.

"Akko I...I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean."

"Like do you ever just..." The brunette worried her lip for a moment. "...go to your mother's grave and talk to her?"

Diana bowed her head immediately, her hair falling over her face, blocking her expression from Akko's view. The brunette waited for a reply in silence for a long moment before the blonde ran her fingers through her hair and tucked a stray lock behind her ear as she sighed deeply.

"It's been a while since I've visited her." Diana said softly, still avoiding eye contact with her fiance. Her shoulders slumped as she began to pick absentmindedly at the cushion below her.

"Will you take me there? I'd like to talk to her." Akko's voice was soft, but full of determination.

The blonde stilled for a moment before looking up at her fiance with pained eyes. She had always been somewhat berated by her remaining family when she would want to talk to her mother. They told her it was pointless, that her mother could not hear her. Diana eventually stopped talking when she visited her mother's grave, it being only an occasion to sit in silence and curse whatever higher being it was that took the only person she ever loved away from her.

"...Why?"

"I can't tell you silly." Akko flashed a lopsided smile, hoping to lighten her fiance's mood. "That's between me and your mom." The brunette crossed her arms in playful defiance, making Diana chuckle quietly. "Now there's that smile I fell in love with." Akko cooed softly as she reached up and caressed the blonde's cheek, who in turn leaned into the contact and closed her eyes. "Speaking of moms...should we call mine?" The brunette bounced up in down before leaning over the couch to find her phone that had been discarded somewhere on the floor earlier along with her pants.

"Akko, it's very late." Diana replied as she searched for her own phone.

"Believe me, Diana. She'll be angrier if I didn't wake her up to tell her this."

"But..." The blonde furrowed her brows for a moment until she shrugged and nodded in agreement. "That seems...very plausible."

"Ah ha!" Akko shouted in victory as she found her phone under the coffee table. After crawling back onto the couch, she swiped the screen and the phone lit up. She scrolled through her contacts until she found her mother's number and pressed the call button before turning the speaker on. The girls waited nervously, Diana scooting closer and taking Akko's hand in her own, interlocking their fingers in the process. Finally, just when the pair thought no one would answer, the ringing stopped and quiet murmurs could be heard on the other side.

"Uh...mom?" Akko spoke hesitantly into her phone, flicking a confused glance in Diana's direction.

"Akko! Akko are you alright? Why are you calling so late?"

The brunette winced at the volume of her panicked mother's voice, holding the phone a bit farther away than she had before.

"No! I'm fine mom!" Akko spoke a little louder to stop her mother's frantic ramblings. "Diana and I have some news for you." Silence filled the air for a moment, a rare moment coming from her mother so the brunette took advantage and continued. "We're engaged!"

This time Akko held her phone out at arms length as the screaming now coming from the speaker would be enough to shatter her eardrums. The brunette laughed out loud at her mother's reaction, Diana burying her face in the back of Akko's shoulder to stifle her own laughter. They both could hear Akemi shouting at her husband, and although it was muffled at this point, they could pick out phrases like 'my baby!' and 'HARUTO!' and 'it finally happened!'. Growing impatient, Akko began yelling into the phone to recapture her mom's attention. It took a good couple minutes, but the older woman finally calmed down enough that she could hold a conversation once more.

"Oh Akko, I'm so happy for you sweetie!" Akemi exclaimed joyfully.

"Thanks m-" Akko began.

"What took Diana so long?" The woman continued, cutting her daughter off in the process.

"Uh..." The brunette opened and closed her mouth a few times as she watched Diana roll her eyes so hard they were in danger of rolling right out of her head. "Okaasan you can't just ask something like that!" Akko whispered loudly into the phone, chastising her mother.

"Oooh. Is she listening?" Akemi whispered back. "Hello, Diana!" The woman continued at her regular volume, voice sweet and innocent. "We are so happy for you as well, dear. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Akemi." Diana replied flatly, smiling at her fiance who had her face buried in her hand.

"So have you talked about kids yet?" Akemi asked slyly.

"Oh my god! Hanging up now!" Akko yelled in horror before quickly ending the call. She tossed the phone onto the carpet and groaned as she slumped back into the cushions of the couch. "Why is my mom...the way that she is?"

"That...is a good question." Diana said as she softly chuckled and pulled her fiance back up to a sitting position by the arm. "Let's head to bed."

"But I'm not tiiiired." The brunette whined as she let the blonde pull her up off the couch.

Diana smiled mischievously and wrapped Akko up in her arms from behind. She slowly leaned in until her lips ghosted over the brunette's ear.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" The blonde said seductively before nipping at her fiance's earlobe and turned to walk away after feeling Akko shiver in her embrace. Diana grinned to herself as she walked, waiting for the brunette to come out of her daze enough to chase after her. It didn't take long before she heard the brunette moving toward her, moving very quickly toward her. Before she even saw the blur that was Akko, the brunette had hoisted Diana onto her shoulder so quickly that the blonde had absolutely no time to fight back.

"Akko!" Diana managed to get out between snorts of laughter as her fiance carried her down the hallway quickly. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to make love to my fiance!" Akko shouted proudly, pumping her fist into the air. She then heard her fiance audibly face palm behind her back.

"You...are such dork."

"I...am your dork."

"Akko do not throw me onto that bed."

"Or what? Hmm?

"Akko..."

"Yeet!"

* * *

 _Two Weeks Later…_

Diana stared somberly out the window at the fields of green passing by slowly. The familiar sight burned into her memory by the countless times she had taken this trip before. Today was different, though. Today she had a source of comfort in the girl beside her. The hand she was holding was the anchor holding her in place, preventing her from drifting away into the waves of dark thoughts that threatened to drown her whenever she caught sight of the archway entrance to the cemetery grounds. The feeling of lips placing kisses on her knuckles snapped her back to reality as the car began to slow.

"I think we're here." Akko whispered, sleepy from the long drive.

Diana nodded once and smiled reassuringly at her fiance as the car stopped completely. The driver got out first and opened Diana's door, then Akko's. After thanking him, the pair began walking silently down the stone pathway hand in hand. The walk didn't take very long as the cemetery wasn't overly large and the Cavendish family rested at the very center. The blonde stopped in her tracks when her mother's grave came into view. As she stared at it, Akko looked at her curiously until Diana nodded toward the gravestone. The brunette followed with her gaze until she saw it, the resting place of Bernadette Cavendish. Akko swallowed nervously as she looked back to her fiance and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'll just be a minute." The brunette raised up onto her tiptoes to kiss Diana softly on the cheek before walking toward the gravestone.

The blonde took a seat on one of the many stone benches placed throughout the cemetery, far enough away from Akko to not intrude, but apparently still close enough to hear her words due to the complete silence surrounding them.

Akko sat cross legged on the grass in front of the simple but elegant marble and read the words etched into it before taking a deep shaky breath. She thought with the amount of times she had visited Olivia's grave that she'd be use to this, but this was Diana's mom. This held a weight much heavier than chatting with an old friend.

"Hi Ms. Cavendish...or uh...Bernadette. Not sure which you would have preferred. Heh." Akko laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck and went silent for a long moment as she contemplated on what she would say if the woman were actually standing right here in front of her. "I'm Akko. Akko Kagari. I'm your daughter's fiance." She smiled to herself as she spoke the word. She still couldn't believe just how happy it made her just to say, 'fiance'. "We proposed to each other two weeks ago. Well, Diana proposed first, of course. It was really beautiful. And of course I said yes." Akko began to pick at the blades of grass by her feet. "I said yes because I am so in love with her. I have never met anyone as amazing as Diana. You would be so proud of her." Suddenly the brunette felt tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. "She's so loving, and kind, and patient. She is so patient with me and let me tell you, that is no easy feat." She chuckled quietly at her own joke as a stray tear made it's way down her cheek. After wiping it away quickly, she continued. "And she's so strong. The strongest person I think I've ever known. But sometimes I think she feels like she has to be strong for other people, it's a lot of pressure and it takes a lot out of her but she'd never admit it. But I can see it, ya know?" Akko chanced a glance backward to see Diana sitting on bench facing away from her.

"I know I can't ask you for your blessing, but what I can do is make a promise to you. I promise that I will stand by your daughter's side through everything, and when the time comes that she needs someone to be strong for her, I will be the one to carry her. And she will never have to go through anything alone ever again. You have my word Bernadette. I will do everything in my power to make her happy every day for the rest of our lives, because that's what she deserves. She deserves to be as happy as she makes me. And I don't know if that's possible but..." Akko paused as she got to her feet and brushed her pants off. "I'm going to do my best." She looked back at Diana again before doing an awkward bow at the gravestone. "So it was...good...talking to you? Heh. Bye!"

The brunette waved and walked slowly toward where the blonde sat. As she approached, she noticed the girls head was bowed, her hair covering her facial features. Akko sat next to her and moved the blonde hair out of the way to reveal red eyes and wet cheeks. The brunette's eyes went wide with immediate worry until she saw the smile directed at her.

"Diana?"

"I'm fine, Akko. That was just...that was really beautiful. You are a beautiful person, Atsuko Kagari. I really do hope you never forget that." Diana wiped her wet cheeks once more before laughing softly. "And I blame you for making me an absolute mess." The blonde narrowed her eyes playfully at her smiling fiance.

"Sounds fair." Akko just shrugged, eliciting a playful jab to her ribs from the blonde. She giggled and threw her arm around Diana's neck for a side hug. "Are you ready to go then?"

The blonde nodded and they both stood. Diana looked back at the gravestone as they started walking and felt a twinge of guilt.

"Akko, will…you give me a minute?"

Akko stopped walking and looked at her fiance in confusion, and then to her mother's grave. With a small smile of understanding, she nodded and took a step back, allowing Diana to walk past her. The blonde nervously approached and placed her hand on the cool marble.

"Hello, mother." She said quietly, voicing cracking slightly as her fingers slid across the stone. "So that was her, the love of my life. What do you think?" Diana looked up at Akko, whose gaze was currently focused on a butterfly flying wildly around her. The blonde smiled lovingly at the girl. "Sometimes I have no idea why she chose me, but I will be forever grateful that she did." She looked back down at her mother's name etched in the gravestone and her smile turned sad. "I wish you could have met her. I..." Diana trailed off as the tears began to come back in full force. "I wish you were here with me. I wish you could watch me get married. I...I miss you so much." The blonde wiped furiously at the tears that wouldn't stop now. She let out a quiet sob and closed her eyes tight, begging for the pain to subside. "I love you, mother. I will always love you. You will always be in my heart." She brought a shaky hand to her mouth, fingers pressed against her lips before pressing those same fingers against the stone. The transfer of a kiss between earth and heaven. She paused there for a couple minutes before she gathered the strength to walk away, to leave the past behind her once again in order to walk toward the girl that had become her future.


	28. Chapter 28

**Well this is it kids! The final chapter!**

 **FYI the song used in this chapter is 'I Get To Love You' by Ruelle. It's a beautiful song. I suggest you give it a listen!**

 **More notes at the end.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Chapter 28**

 _I Now Pronounce You Wife And...Wife_

Dress shopping was never one of Akko's favorite things to do. In fact, she would rank dress shopping just below having her toenails pulled out. Although she'd never experienced the latter, she thought it'd still be better than walking into the tenth dress shop in London and the surrounding areas escorted by her mother. It had been fun at first, but if she tries on another dress that makes her look like a fluffy hot mess, she just might start screaming right there in the middle of the store. And she wouldn't be responsible for what happened to the innocent bystanders, or the dress.

"I feel it, Akko. This is the place! I'm certain of it!" Akemi whispered loudly, determined to end her daughter's suffering.

Akko let out a long sigh as they stood just inside the front doors, staring at the seemingly endless amount of wedding dresses as an older woman approached.

"Good afternoon, ladies. My name is Isabelle." She smiled warmly and her gaze flickered between the two of them. "May I ask which one of you will be needing a dress today?"

"That would be my daughter here!" Akemi smiled proudly and put her arm around Akko, squeezing her tightly in a side hug. "My name is Akemi and this is my daughter, Akko."

The younger brunette rolled her eyes and smiled at the affectionate gesture from her mother while Isabelle smiled adoringly at them.

"Congratulations, Akko. Your fiance is a very lucky man indeed."

Akemi and Akko tensed up for a moment as they looked at each other. While the younger brunette had a look of concern on her face, the older one smiled reassuringly and turned back to woman helping them.

"Woman, actually. Her fiance is a woman, and a wonderful one at that." Akemi's voice was not harsh at all, but very confident and genuine. She left no room for doubt that she was happy for her daughter, and her future daughter.

Akko smiled at her mother, thinking for probably the millionth time in her life, that she had the best mother in the world. She then turned to Isabelle, whose eyes widened only a fraction before she smiled again and nodded.

"My apologies, miss. I have no doubt that she's lovely."

"She is! Would you like to see some pictures?" Akemi excitedly asked as she was already pulling out her phone.

"Mom. Please." Akko whined as she rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "Can we not do this everywhere we go?"

Isabelle chuckled knowingly before she put her hand up to stop the older brunette.

"I would love to see them of course. But let's find Akko a perfect dress first, shall we?"

Akemi begrudgingly put her phone away with a nod as Akko mouthed a 'thank you' to Isabelle behind her.

"Now is there anything you're looking for specifically?"

"Please nothing fluffy. No fluff. I refuse to do anymore fluff." The younger brunette pleaded, her eyes reflecting the sheer pain of her losing war on fluff.

"Say no more. Follow me to the non-fluff section."

"Is that really what you call it?"

"After today, I'll refuse to call it anything else." Isabelle laughed out loud as she began to walk toward the back of the shop, the two brunettes following closely behind. "Flashy dresses seem to be the thing these days," The woman sighed sadly before continuing. "but I am partial to the more simple dresses myself. They radiate a quiet elegance, enhancing one's natural beauty." She turned her head and smiled once more at Akko before stopping and gesturing to a section of racks in the corner. "Why don't you have a look?"

The younger brunette took a deep breath and nodded with determination before walking slowly once again into the battle that was finding the perfect dress. Soon she was enveloped in a sea of white. Was it just her or did all of these dresses look the same? Were they all the same? Akko slowly searched through the dresses, and with each dress that was too plain, too sparkly, long sleeved, neckline too low, a hopeless feeling bubbled up closer and closer to the surface. She glanced over where her mother stood, about to call for help, before seeing Akemi excitedly flipping through pictures on her phone, Isabelle watching and smiling politely. The brunette sighed and smiled at her mother's antics before she saw it. She saw it hanging up right behind the older women. A dress, no... _the_ dress. It seemed to glow brightly as if to call out for her, or could it be she was about to pass out from hunger? When is the last time she had food? Akko shook her head out of those thoughts before walking slowly toward the dress. No, it wasn't hunger. This was it. It was gorgeous yet simple, it was everything she'd imagined. It was perfect.

"Akko, honey. Wha..." Akemi began before her daughter walked past her in a trance like state. She turned to follow Akko's gaze until she saw what the girl was looking at and stared in awe. "It that…?"

"This is it, okaasan." The brunette whispered as she ran her fingers across the flowing white fabric, the silky smooth texture sending a shiver through her body before her fingertips found the smalls beads of an elegant design running up from the waist to the top. "May I try this one on?"

"Yes, of course, dear." Isabelle answered before moving to retrieve the dress from the display. She led Akemi and Akko to a large dressing room and handed the dress to the younger brunette before opening the door for her. "Let us know if you need any assistance."

Akko nodded and entered the room before changing quickly. Her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking as she undressed, taking off everything but her underwear before pulling the strapless dress up the length of her body until the top settled just above her bust. She would need help with the clasps in the back, of course, so she closed her eyes to avoid the mirrors and called out to her mother.

"Okaasan, could you help me with the back?"

Only a second later, Akemi opened the door excitedly and paused when she caught sight of her daughter in the wedding dress. The younger brunette couldn't see the bright smile on the older woman's face, but she could imagine it clearly. Akko didn't want to look at herself until the dress was done up, until it was perfect. Akemi silently moved behind her daughter and closed the back of the dress, clasp by clasp, and when she finished her hands moved to Akko's shoulders and squeezed.

"You can look now." She whispered reverently.

Akko nodded, her shoulders moving up and down as she took a couple deep breaths. She mentally counted down from three before she opened her eyes and saw herself for the first time in the dress. Her eyes went wide at the sight. She had tried on many dresses today, but none of them had felt right. But this one...she could almost see herself standing there at the altar, looking up into Diana beautiful blue eyes, which were staring back her lovingly. She could imagine the look on the blonde's face when she saw this dress on her as she walked down the isle.

"Akko, why are you crying?"

Akemi's quiet voice brought her out of her trance. She blinked a few times, just realizing now that a few tears had run down her cheeks without her even noticing. Akko wiped them away and laughed softly before tearing her gaze away from herself to look at her mother and Isabelle, running her fingers down the dress once more.

"This is the one." Akko grinned toothily as her mother let out a joyful cry and rush towards her, enveloping her in a tight hug. The brunette suddenly felt a tears drop onto her shoulder. "Okaasan," Akko began to laugh as she tried to pull away. "You're going to ruin the dress!"

"Just let me have this moment, Akko! My daughter looks so beautiful!" Akemi held onto Akko even tighter until the younger girl gave up trying to get away. "I'm so happy for you my baby."

"Thanks okaasan."

* * *

"Okay okay, but hear me out babe." Amanda was sitting on a comfortable sofa in the small tailor shop, waiting for her turn to try on her suit. Hannah sat next to her, a notebook on her lap as she looked over the things that still needed to be taken care of for Diana's wedding. "Fog machines on the dance floor."

"Amanda..." Hannah rubbed her temples as if she could already feel a headache coming on. "fog machines are so tacky."

"Oh come on, Akko would love it and you know it." The redhead jutted her lip out in a pout.

"Akko would also love chicken nuggets as an entree choice, but that doesn't mean she'll be getting it." Hannah sighed and looked at her girlfriend. "And you are not one of the brides, so you have no say in the matter."

Amanda looked away and stared at the ground for a moment as her leg began to bounce nervously.

"What about..." The redhead said quietly before looking up once more. "What about when we..." She trailed off and swallowed thickly.

"When we...what?" Hannah tilted her head curiously with an arched brow.

"Hannah-"

Amanda's words were cut off by the door to the dressing room opening. Both girls quickly turned their heads, their conversation long forgotten as Diana stepped out in her newly tailored suit. Their jaws dropped at the sight of their blonde friend standing there in her perfectly fitting dark blue jacket, vest and pants. A white dress shirt lay under the vest adorned by a black bow tie, and black high heels to finish the look off. To say Diana looked gorgeous was an understatement. But the blonde stood nervously as Hannah and Amanda stared at her in silence for longer than she had liked. She cleared her throat and stuffed her hands in her pockets as she waited.

"Well?" Diana finally asked, voice uncertain.

"Wow, Diana." Hannah breathed out in a reply.

"Yeah. You look dapper as fuck, Diana!" Amanda half shouted, earning a glare from an older customer in the small shop. Diana and Hannah groaned in unison and rubbed there foreheads.

"Language." The auburn haired girl chastised in a quiet growl.

"Shit, sorry." Amanda loudly whispered apologetically, eliciting a sigh from her exasperated girlfriend.

Hannah stood and recollected herself before walking up to Diana and wrapping her in a tight hug, the blonde reciprocating almost immediately.

"You look amazing." Hannah whispered so only Diana could hear. The blonde held her a little tighter at that before they felt Amanda's arms wrap themselves around them. The three stood there for a moment before two phones began to go off. Hannah and Amanda looked at each other with furrowed eyebrows before they let go of Diana and picked up their phones off of the sofa and looked at their messages.

"Oh my god!"

"Holy shit!"

Hannah and Amanda spoke at the same time as they stared at their phones in shock. Diana stepped forward, suddenly full of concern at her friend's reactions.

"What's wrong?" The blonde inquired before stopping in her tracks when both girls hid their phones from her view. "What's going on?"

"Your girl found a dress." Amanda winked and smirked in Diana's direction.

"Was...was that a picture?"

"Yes. But of course you can't see it. It's bad luck." Hannah's smirk matched her girlfriend's now as the blonde clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes at them.

The pair's phones began to go off every couple seconds as multiple people were apparently replying to the group message. Diana grew a little more jealous and anxious every time their phones would sound out, wishing more than anything in the world that she could see that picture right now. She knew for a fact that anything her dreams or her imagination could possibly create would never compare to how beautiful Akko is, and will be on their wedding day. But her imagination and dreams are all she has until then. Her friends are right, of course. She will wait to see it, and it will definitely be worth it.

"She looks gorgeous, Diana. That's all I can tell you." Hannah spoke up after replying and smiled at her frustrated friend. Diana smiled back and nodded.

"Of course she is. She's always gorgeous."

Amanda rolled her eyes playfully at the blonde before someone cleared their throat behind them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

The redhead whirled around at the familiar voice and gasped.

"Andrew! My boy! Where in the hell have you been hiding?" Amanda roughly patted him on the back, making him chuckle and smile fondly back at her.

"It's good to see you too, Amanda." He flashed a lopsided smile before turning to the other two girls. "Diana, Hannah."

"Hello, Andrew." Hannah replied politely.

"I'm glad you could make it." Diana held her hand out for Andrew to take for a handshake, which he did.

"I was quite surprised when I received your invitation, Diana. It's been a while." The man took a step back and looked the blonde over with an approving nod. "You look stunning as always."

"You should see Akko." Amanda whispered into Andrew's ear.

"I'm looking forward to it. I...think that gentleman is trying to get your attention, O'Neill."

"Huh?" The redhead then noticed the tailor standing to the side, not wanting to interrupt the reunion between friends. "Oh, come on Han." Amanda grabbed Hannah by the hand and led her into the dressing room, leaving Diana and Andrew alone.

"How is Akko, by the way? We haven't spoken much since I moved away."

"She was pretty disappointed in you, Andrew." Diana sat down on the sofa and crossed on leg over the other. "When you gave up on your dream to follow your father."

"I've noticed." Andrew sighed and sat down next to the blonde. "Although you know as well as anyone about the pressures of carrying on a family legacy, Diana. I may have given up my dream to perform, but music is still a passion of mine. And now I'm able to help others fulfill their dreams with the money I make so all is not lost. Dreams tend to change just as people do." He glanced sideways at Diana and smiled slyly. "Just as you've changed. Otherwise I doubt I'd be here."

"As I've told you, Andrew, it was Akko's idea to include you in this wedding. As for me, I still think you are just as bothersome as you were as a child." The blonde let a hint of a playful smile show through. "But I'll admit, you are useful."

"Gee, thank you." Andrew stated flatly, making Diana chuckle before they fell into a comfortable silence for a long moment before the man began to laugh to himself.

"What's so funny?" The blonde asked with an arched brow.

"I was thinking back to the day she asked me about you in our music class. She didn't know we were acquaintances yet, of course. But you should have seen how smitten she was after only just meeting you." Andrew smiled wistfully as he stared off at nothing in particular. "Now here you are, about to be married. I am very happy for the both of you. I don't think I've ever met two people who are more perfect for each other."

"Thank you, Andrew." Diana smiled at her old friend, genuinely appreciative of his words.

They suddenly heard someone shouting behind the door of the room that Amanda and Hannah entered earlier.

"Prepare to swoon bitches!"

"Amanda!"

Diana and Andrew looked at each other and both began to shake in silent laughter. The blonde could only hope Akko did not ask Amanda to prepare a speech for the wedding reception. She wouldn't do that...would she? Yes, yes she would. Oh god.

* * *

 _Night before the wedding..._

The days went by quickly as preparations for the wedding went into overdrive. Hannah and Barbara worked tirelessly to make sure that everything was in order at all times. Well, as much as they could anyway with Akko being one of the brides. The brunette seemed to bring chaos with her wherever she went. Like the cake testing incident that no will ever talk about again. Ever. But for the most part, everything went according to plan. And before they knew it, the wedding was now only a day away. Diana and Akko were cuddling on the couch after their dinner, the pans and plates still lay in the sink as neither of them thought it important enough to do when there was cuddling to be done. The blonde lay on her back, with the brunette sprawled out on top of her as the television served as merely background noise. Diana ran her fingers through Akko's silky brown locks, lost in thought. She smiled as she realized how much longer the brunette's hair was now, compared to when they had met. Akko had wanted to cut it many times, but Diana was always able to talk her out of it. She loved the way it looked on her soon-to-be wife. Wife. Come tomorrow night, she was going to have a wife. She was going to be a wife. The thought of being able to introduce Akko as her wife never failed to send chills down her body, no matter how many times she thought about it, which was a lot. And she would never forget the feeling she had when the brunette insisted on taking Diana's last name. It was almost too much that Akko would make that commitment to her, that she would gladly change something so inherently hers for the blonde when she didn't have to. Everything about this wedding was emotionally overwhelming, even when the way they lived their lives wasn't going to change at all.

"Hey, Diana?" Akko's sleepy voice elicited a smile from the blonde.

"Yes, love?"

"I can't wait to be your wife." The brunette mumbled before turning over and gazing up at Diana lovingly, eyes half lidded.

The blonde grinned toothily at her fiance and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. But before she could say anything, somebody began to pound on their door, making Akko jump.

"What the...ugh." The brunette grumpily stood up from the couch and stalked toward the door. Diana stood up and followed her fiance in amusement. When Akko approached the door, she looked through the peephole and furrowed her eyebrows. "Huh?" The brunette stepped back and opened the door quickly to find Amanda, Jasminka and Sucy standing in the hallway. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to kidnap you." Sucy deadpanned.

"EH?"

"Damn it Sucy, we were going to be subtle about this. Remember?" Amanda quickly whispered before turning back to a very confused Akko.

"Akko and subtle should never be spoken in the same sentence." Sucy mumbled before the redhead could get any words out.

"Sucy..." Amanda pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes tightly. "Why did you even come with us?"

"Lotte made me."

Akko turned away from her friends and looked at Diana in exasperation. The blonde was biting her lip, trying to hold back her amused laughter before shrugging at her fiance. When Akko turned away, the blonde smiled slyly at the back of the brunette's head.

"Okay, why….are you here?" Akko asked again more hesitantly.

The redhead opened her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Well, I'm glad you asked…again." Amanda glared at their purple haired friend, daring her to say anything more, but only received an arched brow in return. "You see, Akko, there's a tradition that the bride and...bride spend the night before their wedding away from each other. So we are here to take you back to our place."

"But...why is that a tradition?"

"I have no idea, but it is. Now come on." Amanda reached out to take Akko by the arm, but the brunette quickly stepped back.

"No."

"Come on, Akko. It'll be fun! Just like old times!" The redhead glanced pleadingly at Diana, who was watching the whole scene with a lopsided grin.

"But I want to spend the night with Diana."

"Okay Jasminka." Amanda sighed and nodded toward Jasminka. "You're up."

The pink haired girl nodded and stepped forward.

"I'm sorry about this, Akko." Jasminka stated with an apologetic smile.

"A-about wha- gah!"

The larger girl picked Akko up and threw her over her shoulder easily, the smaller girl gasping in shock as she was hoisted up.

"Hey!" The brunette shouted in protest as she tried to wiggle her way out of the impossibly tight grasp of Jasminka.

"Oh hey, a convenient overnight bag that has already been packed for us." Sucy deadpanned as she picked up the bag resting at Diana's feet.

"A...what? Dianaaa!" Akko whined as Jasminka turned her around to face the smiling blonde. Diana took the brunette's cheeks in both hands before leaning in and kissing her sweetly.

"I'll see you at the altar my love."

"See me..." Suddenly Akko's expression turned into one of realization as her eyes grew wide. "You knew about this?" She shouted as Jasminka began to walk out the door and down the hallway toward the elevator. "How could you do this to meeeee?!"

"I love you, Akko!" Diana shouted back, giggling at the sight of her fiances pouting expression staring back at her before they disappeared into the elevator.

"Peace Cavendish!" Amanda yelled before following her friends.

The blonde shook her head and smiled to herself, before she saw two figures walking toward her from down the hall.

"Hey, Diana!" Hannah called out.

"Are you ready for a slumber party with your best friends?" Barbara added excitedly as the two girls approached.

"I am." Diana stepped aside for the two girls to move past her when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Wait!"

The blonde turned her head and saw Akko skidding to a stop outside of the elevator and then bolting toward her in a dead on sprint.

"Akko?"

"Diana!" The brunette halted right in front of Diana and grabbed both sides of her face, pulling her in for a kiss that might have been a little too passionate for the public eye. The blonde let out a surprise moan before Akko pulled away and pressed her forehead against Diana's as they both tried to slow down their breathing. "I love you."

"You came back just to tell me that?" The blonde asked quietly as she reached up and caressed the brunette cheek with her thumb.

Akko smiled brightly at her before leaning in for one last kiss and then turned away to sprint back down the hallway toward the elevator.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Diana!" Akko yelled behind her with a wave over her shoulder as she ran.

The blonde watched her leave, doing everything in her power to not call out to the brunette, to tell her to come back. How could Akko leave her feeling like this, feeling flustered and breathless after four years of being together? She clasped a hand over her still rapidly beating heart for a moment before she had the feeling that she was forgetting something. What was she doing before Akko reappeared? Oh. Diana turned her head slowly to where her two friends stood in her doorway, both staring at her with amused expressions.

"Hush you two." The blushing blonde walked quickly past them into the apartment, making sure to avoid eye contact as she went.

"I don't recall saying anything, Diana. Did you say anything Barb?" Hannah said in an overly sweet voice as she turned to her black haired friend.

"My lips were sealed, Han. I'm sure of it." Barbara replied just as sweetly as she shut the door behind them.

* * *

Akko lay in a lawn chair, staring up at the stars in the backyard of the house of her former housemates, the five other girls laying in their own chairs on either side of her. Each girl was nursing a beer as they all sat in a comfortable silence for a long time. Until Amanda was the first to break it.

"Did y'all think Akko would be the first one to get married out of all of us?"

"No."

Every girl replied at the same time except for Constanze, who shook her head with the same answer.

"Hey!" Akko giggled before taking a sip of her beer. "Why not?"

The other girls laughed at that. Amanda sat up and spoke again.

"Hey guys, do you remember when Diana came to Lucky's and Akko..."

* * *

"...gave you that lap dance?" Hannah giggled as she took a sip of her wine. "I mean, what was going through your head when that was happening, Diana?"

The three girls sat on the couch in Diana's apartment in their robes, their feet resting on on the coffee table and a glass of wine in each of their hands. The blonde, who was sitting in the middle, blushed slightly and sighed.

"Oh I think she enjoyed it, Han. You remember the look on her face." Barbara nudged Diana with her elbow playfully before they all broke out in a fit of giggles.

"To be honest I was terrified." The blonde replied as she calmed down a bit and took a drink of her wine. "I was terrified, and shocked and...turned on all at the same time."

Hannah and Barbara nearly spit there drinks out at that last revelation, the black haired girl choking slightly before they broke out into to even louder laughter.

"Oh my god I can't breath!" Hannah exclaimed between bouts of laughter. All three girls managed to calm down somewhat, before they sighed in unison.

"Remember when you gave Akko all of those roses, Diana?" Barbara asked as she finished her glass and sighed dreamily. "I couldn't believe how sweet it was! It was like something right out of a romance..."

* * *

"...fan fiction! Literally, Akko, it nearly gave me diabetes." Amanda finished her beer and grabbed a new one out of the cooler sitting next to her chair.

"You read...fan fiction, Amanda?" Lotte asked in shock. She stared at the redhead with her eyes wide, her expression mirrored by the other four girls as well.

"What? It's..." Amanda glanced between all of her friends before settling back on Lotte. "Ah fuck off. There's a lot of good ones." The redhead mumbled as she sat back in her chair and gazed up at the sky once more.

"Lotte writes fan f-"

"Sucy!"

"Keh heh heh."

"Lotte? You wr-" Akko started but was immediately cut off.

"Roses! They were very romantic, Akko." Lotte stated nervously. "I can't believe Diana planned all of that. You're very lucky to have her." The orange haired girl smiled warmly at the brunette, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Yeah." Akko said quietly as she smiled and looked down at her bottle. "I feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world every day."

The group fell into silence once more, all of them with knowing smiles on their faces as they watched Akko play back that special moment in her life in her mind. Even Sucy couldn't help but to smile at how happy her friend was.

"Okay, Akko. One last thing." Amanda sat up again and turned to face Akko with a serious expression. "This is really important so think about it carefully."

The brunette raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly as the redhead leaned in close.

"Ladies, get your money out because we're about to settle a bet."

"W-what? What bet?"

"Is Diana..." Amanda hesitated dramatically before continuing. "a top or a bottom in bed?"

"Eh? A t-top or b-bottom? Why wo-"

"Yeah, a top or a bottom. What is she?"

"I...uh...don't..." Akko looked around at all of her friends who were staring at her excitedly, as if she were about to tell them the most highly guarded secret in the world. "Well...I guess...she's a to..."

* * *

"...bottom. Akko's a bottom." Diana said almost too quickly for her friends to understand, her eyes closed tightly as if she were being tortured. What she wasn't expecting was for Hannah and Barbara to squeal loudly at the answer, bouncing up and down excitedly next to the blonde on the couch.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Hannah exclaimed as she turned to Barbara and poked her in the arm. "I told you." She said confidently as the black haired girl suddenly deflated.

"And I just lost the bet."

* * *

 _Wedding day..._

Diana arrived early with Hannah and Barbara to the wedding venue to make sure everything was running on time...or she was too excited to stay at home alone and do nothing. They walked through the entrance to the vast hall that would house the reception immediately after a ceremony. The scooting of tables and chairs and the clinking of silverware created loud echos throughout the room as the three girls walked toward the large doors leading to the area where the ceremony would be held. After Hannah and Barbara split off to deal with their last planning duties, Diana walked through the door and proceeded down the stone pathway leading to the small ceremony area completely encompassed by tall beautiful trees. When they had been here earlier in the week for a short rehearsal, it had been an empty space. But now the trees along the pathway and around the small area were elegantly decorated by strings of lights, the chairs had been set up and the wooden archway had been constructed where they would stand to be married. The blonde stopped in the middle of the area and closed her eyes, listening to the calming rustling of the trees as she took in a deep breath. Soon this part of her life would be over, and a new life would begin, one that she was gladly welcoming.

Akko, Amanda and Lotte dressed in relative silence after arriving at the venue. They could hear voices and the clicking of heals echoing through the door as guests arrived. Amanda was the first to finish getting ready, wearing dark blue suit pants and suspenders over a white dress shirt. After looking over her appearance for a long moment, she walked over and stood beside the brunette who was staring at herself in the mirror with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"You doin okay?" The redhead threw her arm around Akko's neck and squeezed.

"Yeah." The brunette smiled brightly into the mirror at Amanda. "I really am."

"Good. I'm gonna go find your mom now that we're done dressing."

The brunette nodded as Amanda left the room before looking at her reflection once more and taking a deep calming breath.

"Do you need help with the back, Akko?" Lotte asked as stepped behind the brunette and into the reflection of the mirror. Akko's eyes widened when she caught sight of her friend and turned around quickly to get a better look.

"Lotte you look gorgeous!" The brunette stepped back and looked Lotte up and down. Her friend was wearing a flowing light blue strapless bridesmaid dress, and she somehow had the time to do perfect makeup and hair. The orange haired girl blushed slightly and smiled.

"Thank you." She replied softly as she grabbed Akko's shoulders and turned her back around before beginning to enclose the clasps on the brunette's dress. "Are you nervous?"

"Kind of. But...it's like an excited kind of nervous?" The brunette furrowed her brows and tilted her head, eliciting a giggle from Lotte.

"Okay, done." The orange haired girl moved from behind Akko to her side as they both smiled into the mirror.

The brunette looked herself over, reaching up to move a few strands of hair out of her face before straightening the crown of white beads the laid atop her head, her brown locks fastened behind her head in a messy bun. She wasn't used to the hairstyle but she had to admit that she loved the look. She felt like a princess...or something.

"You look beautiful." Lotte interrupted Akko's thoughts and hugged the brunette's arm fondly. But before Akko could reply, the door behind them flew open and Amanda jogged in.

"Amanda? What-"

"So I have good news, I found your mom." The redhead looked behind herself nervously before continuing. "Bad news is-"

"Ooooh my baby! You look beautiful!" Akemi walked in quickly and enveloped her daughter in a bone crushing hug. She wasn't alone though. Immediately multiple people followed her in, ignoring Amanda's protests. Chariot and Croix were the next to greet Akko, followed by Jasminka, Constanze, and Sucy. Lastly, Hannah and Barbara walked in and stopped in their tracks when they saw Akko in her final wedding form and squealed so loud that everyone in the room were inclined to cover their ears. The pair gave Akko a rare hug, speaking so quickly that the brunette could only manage to pick out a few words before they disappeared once again like a chaotic whirlwind. The once quiet room was now alight with conversation and praises, and as Akko interacted with and watched these people who were closest to her, she was once again thankful for the amazing people in her life. Suddenly she was much less nervous than she was before.

Diana stood in front of her own mirror in her silent dressing room as she put a few stray hairs back in their place. She inspected the loose braids running along the sides of her head to the ponytail at the back and was satisfied with how it looked. She then straightened out her suit once more and was about to turn and leave when the door opened. The blonde saw her aunt being wheeled in by a woman who was probably a personal nurse before the woman left and shut the door behind her, leaving Diana and Daryl alone in the room together. It pained the younger blonde to see her aunt in such a fragile state. Every time she looked at Daryl, she was reminded of her mother during the last days of her life and she hated it. Although they had never been particularly close, she hated seeing someone who was once so powerful sitting in a wheelchair because she was now too weak to walk on her own. It was heartbreaking to think that soon, another member of her family would be taken away from her.

"Diana." Daryl nodded curtly in her nieces direction before flashing an uncharacteristically weak smile. "You look very nice."

"Thank you, Daryl." Diana replied in surprise. She then smiled sadly and looked at the floor. "I'm happy you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss my only niece's wedding." Daryl huffed as if she was offended, but none of the usual bravado showed through. "My dear sister would slap me in the afterlife if I didn't show up, after all." The older blonde chuckled sadly as a ghost of a smile made it's way onto Diana's lips.

"Daryl, I-"

"Wait." Daryl held out her hand, putting a stop to the younger blonde's words. "Just let me say this." She paused, waiting for a nod from her niece before she continued. "Diana, I know we didn't get along most of the time, and I know you didn't think I loved you, or cared for you after your mother passed, but I just want you to know that I did, whether you believe me or not. I will admit that I did a terrible job of showing it, and I'll admit that I focused too much on creating a successor for the company rather than giving you things that you needed. I see that now. And I wanted you to know that I am very proud of who you've become, you are much stronger than I was, even stronger than Bernadette was."

Diana listened to her aunts words with wide eyes. She had never heard such genuinely kind words come out of Daryl's mouth. Her mind was blank as she couldn't put together a sentence to reply with before her aunt continued.

"I'm just happy one of us lived long enough to see this day. Although I do wish it was my sister instead of me." Daryl's voice cracked slightly before she reached back and knocked on the door to call her nurse back in.

"Daryl..." Diana stepped forward hesitantly.

"Promise me one thing, Diana." The older woman fixed her with the most motherly look the blonde had ever seen on her face. "Promise me that you will live a long and happy life." Daryl finished as the nurse came in behind her.

"Yes, I promise. Thank you, Aunt Daryl." Diana replied quietly, nodding and smiling as the nurse turned the wheelchair around and pushed her aunt out of the room. The blonde began to breathe quickly to try and calm herself as she started to feel moisture in the corner of her eyes. "Okay, okay. No crying. You can't cry." She whispered to herself between breaths. Diana checked her watch and realized it was time to take her place for the ceremony.

The blonde made her way out of the back doors and walked toward the altar, her legs shook slightly as she caught sight of the large elegant arch decorated with brilliantly green vines and various beautiful flowers. She took a deep breath and kept her legs moving as she caught sight of Andrew taking his place at the piano next to the small band that was currently playing for the guests as they found their seats. Andrew smiled warmly at her and waved, to which Diana smiled and waved in return before continuing forward, seeing the smiling older woman who would be the wedding officiant today. Diana returned the smile as she approached and shook the woman's hand in greeting.

"Miss Cavendish you look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you, Mrs. White, but I'm certain I'll pale in comparison to Akko." Diana smiled wistfully as she glanced at the place where Akko would appear at the end of the stone pathway leading to the altar.

The woman smiled knowingly as she watched the blonde fidget with her suit jacket for the second time in less than a minute and put a reassuring hand on Diana's shoulder.

"Don't be nervous my dear." Mrs. White smiled warmly at the blonde, who in turn took a deep breath and nodded.

The woman opened her mouth to say more but stopped as the music paused for a moment, only to start playing the song Andrew had written specifically for this occasion, alerting them of the beginning of the ceremony. Piano and violin mingled in beautiful harmony as the crowd went silent, heads and bodies turning in order to view the wedding party making their way down the isle. Diana's heart began to pound out of control as Barbara and Lotte came into view, walking arm in arm down the isle, both carrying a small bouquet of white roses. As they approached the altar, they smiled excitedly at Diana and split off before Amanda and Hannah appeared and began their walk. The blonde closed her eyes and took one last shaky deep breath as she prepared to witness the next pair to walk down the isle. She opened her eyes to see Amanda wink at her as she passed by before her gaze landed on what she'd been waiting for. The sight she'd been aching to see since she'd proposed. A sight that she would never forget as long as she lived.

Akko and her father stood at the end of the isle when Diana's gaze locked onto the brunette's and suddenly the world around them disappeared. The music faded away, the crowd disappeared completely, it was just the two of them. The blonde smiled brightly at Akko, who smiled a bit shyly in return before she began walking slowly with her father. Diana was utterly breathless at how beautiful Akko looked in that moment, how she radiated happiness at seeing the blonde. How lucky she was to see this beauty every day of her life. The blonde's gaze never left her beloved's as the Akko and Haruto paused before the altar, the brunette finally looking away from the Diana to look at her father, who Diana just realized was crying. Haruto had never been an emotional man, but right now the happiness and pride on his face was adorable. The blonde smiled adoringly as she watched Akko hug her father tightly before whispering something into his ear. He nodded and stepped back before smiling and bowing his head at Diana before taking his place next to a crying Akemi. The older woman kissed Haruto on the cheek and leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched their daughter move to stand in front of her soon to be wife.

Diana and Akko stood in front of each other at the altar, their hearts pounding, butterflies swarming in their stomachs as they reached out and took each other's hands. Their officiant began to speak, but neither of them could care to listen at the moment as they stared into each other's eyes. The love they felt for one another was overflowing, showing in the bright smiles reserved only for each other. Diana and Akko couldn't say exactly how long Mrs. White talked, or what she said leading up to the vows, but before they knew it, it was their turn to speak.

"I'll go first." Akko quietly volunteered, surprising Diana who nodded once, urging the brunette to continue. Crimson eyes stared deeply into azure as she began. "Diana Cavendish, from the moment I fell in love with you, I've been dreaming of this moment with you. I dreamed of standing here before you, of becoming your wife. And as your wife, Diana, I vow to love you unconditionally with all of my heart and soul. I promise to carry you when you need it, to follow when you lead, but no matter what happens in this life, I will be with you always. I vow to spend every day of the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me, to love you the way you love me. With absolutely no doubt or hesitation, I take you, Diana Cavendish, to be my wife. I love you."

Diana wiped a few tears away when Akko finished, the brunette having to do the same as they both giggled. The blonde took Akko's hands once more and smiled before she began to speak.

"Astuko Kagari, you have always showed me nothing but love and kindness from the moment you swept in like my knight in shining armor to pay for my coffee." Diana chuckled as Akko flashed her an adoring lopsided smile, a few chuckles also coming from the crowd. "Since you wouldn't allow me to repay you for that coffee, I vow to return that love and kindness tenfold, every day for the rest of our lives. I promise you that I will protect your smile, that smile that brightens my world, because your happiness is everything to me. I promise to support you, and to stand by you through whatever this life throws at us, because you make me stronger. You've changed me, you've changed my world for the better, and my heart is forever yours. So, Akko Kagari, I take you to be my wife for forever and always."

Now the tears were flowing from each girl, Diana struggling to get through the last of her vows without her voice cracking. Sniffles could be heard throughout the crowd as everyone was overcome by emotions. Akko and Diana smiled lovingly at each other as they wiped away the last of their tears before the marriage officiant continued.

"The rings?"

Akko turned to Amanda to retrieve the ring, while Diana took the brunette's out of her own pocket. With shaking hands, they proceeded to slide the rings onto each other's fingers with minimal fumbling.

"Diana, Akko, I now pronounce you wife and wife." Mrs. White stated happily as Akko bounced on her heels excitedly. "You may kiss the bride."

The brunette leaped forward into Diana's arms, throwing her arms around the blonde's neck and kissed her deeply. They both smiled into the kiss as joyful cheers and whistles rang out in the small area. After pulling away, they were swarmed and pulled into hugs by Amanda, Lotte, Hannah and Barbara, each one of them with tears in their eyes.

After many happy kisses, pictures, and greetings, everyone was now inside for the reception. Diana and Akko sat at a large table in the middle of the very large room with their friends and family, enjoying a delicious meal. The brunette had devoured it quickly to satisfy the bottomless pit she called a stomach. When everyone was done, Amanda stood up and clinked her fork against her champagne glass a few times to get everyone's attention. Diana let out an involuntary groan, making the brunette next to her giggle quietly before Akko took the blonde's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I would just like to say a few words." The redhead said loudly enough for the whole room to hear. "I've known both Akko and Diana for a long time, and if someone would have told me five years ago that they'd get together and be married one day, I would have told them they had a few screws lose and that they should probably get that checked out." Laughter echoed throughout the room as Diana rolled her eyes playfully. "I have never been so happy to be proven wrong." Amanda looked down at the two girls and smiled. "The way they've grown together, and the sheer amount of love the have for one another is an incredible thing, and I'm glad I was able to be with them through all of it. I love you guys and I am so happy for you. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone called out before everyone took a sip from their glasses.

Amanda sat down and was met with grateful smiles from her newly married friends before Mrs. White began talking into a microphone.

"If everyone could turn their attention to the dance floor, it's time for our newlyweds to have their first dance."

Diana and Akko stood up and walked hand in hand to the dance floor, pausing when the older woman finished.

"It is my honor to present to you, for the first time, Diana and Akko Cavendish."

The music began to play, a slow melody. Diana bowed playfully to her wife, Akko returning the gesture with a poorly executed curtsy. They both chuckled along with the crowd that had gathered before the blonde pulled the brunette closer and set her hands on Akko's waist. The brunette wrapped her arms around Diana's neck before they began to sway back and forth as the first verse began.

 _One look at you_

 _And my whole life falls in line_

 _I prayed for you_

 _Before I called you mine_

They gazed into each other's eyes as they swayed. Akko then pulled Diana's head forward until their foreheads met and their eyes fluttered shut as the song continued.

 _Oh I can't believe it's true sometimes_

 _Oh I can't believe it's true_

 _I get to love you_

 _It's the best thing that I'll ever do_

 _I get to love you_

 _It's a promise I'm making to you_

Diana surprised Akko by spinning her around in place, the brunette giggled loudly at the sudden move making the blonde laughed along with her.

 _Whatever may come_

 _Your heart I will choose_

 _Forever I'm yours_

 _Forever I do_

 _I get to love you_

Amanda pulled Hannah close as they watched their two friends swaying on the dance floor and placed a kiss on the auburn haired girl's temple. Chariot held her hands to her heart, swooning as Croix held her from behind. Akemi leaned on Haruto, tears in her eyes as she watched her daughter and daughter-in-law smile at each other so happily and lovingly. As the music built up, the newlyweds seemed to float around the dance floor as if nobody was watching, eyes only for each other.

 _They say love is a journey_

 _I promise that I'll never leave_

All playfulness left them as they held each other close once again and the room faded away. They slowly leaned in, gaze never leaving each other's.

 _And when it's too heavy to carry_

 _Remember this moment with me_

Their lips met softly as they continued swaying. Nothing was left in the world but them. With a fierce love they never thought was possible, they would take this journey together. No matter where life led them, no matter what they would have to face, they could think back to this very moment and know that they had won this game called love.

 _I get to love you_

* * *

 **Wow! It's over guys. I hope you enjoyed the final chapter!**  
 **It is truly a bittersweet feeling to be done with this fic. I'm really sad it's over, but I'm so excited to move on and write some new stuff. It's been a crazy, amazing journey and I'm happy y'all enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!**  
 **The reaction to the story completely blew me away! I never thought it gain the popularity it did but I'm so happy I was able to provide you guys with something you loved to read!**  
 **I am truly blessed to have received such amazing support and reviews from you guys! AND THE FAN ART! OMG thank you so much to everyone who took there time out to draw something for my fic! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!**  
 **Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for reading and supporting this fic. I love you all!**

 **I am planning a new Diakko fic as we speak, so make sure to look for that in the near future. Also, I plan on writing some stuff for the RWBY and Revue Starlight fandoms if that's something y'all are interested in!**

 **Lastly, I did get a Tumblr account a little bit ago. I don't do much with it. Lol But if you guys ever want to message me or ask any questions, feel free to head over there. And any requests for one shots are welcome. I'd love to hear from you. You can find me there at tibbsgirl.**

 **Alright peoples, hope to see y'all here again! Bye!**


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